7. Shell Voicings
▪ Shell voicings are when we play the root of a chord plus another note in the bass. They complement the RH chords and moves.
▪ We can play any note of the scale being played in the bass, but the root provides the most stable and anchored sound.
▪ The shell voicings usually stick to the harmony and provide balance and structure.
Some common shell voicings in Jazz Standards:
▪ Root + major 7th note.
▪ Root + maj 6th note.
▪ Root + dominant 7th note (dominant 7th acting as a dim note).
▪ Root + 8th (octave).
▪ Root + 3rd an octave up (known as “a 10th”).
▪ Shell voicings in the family of 4 dominants: dominant shell voicing in the bass (root + flat 7th) works with the other 3 dominants of the same family in the RH.
▪ We can play notes from the current scale of chords in the bass as long as we resolve to the harmonic pattern.
▪ Drop 2 means playing a chord without the RH finger which is second highest, and moving it to the bass. It is a matter of style and choice. By moving higher pitch notes to the bass, we can provide depth and beauty.
Drop two voicings can be played with either the root of the chord or the dropped note lowest in the LH. It is a matter of style. When resolving or placing emphasis on a chord, the root provides more grounding.