How do I expand on different inversions and voicings?


MoonlightJB
Full Access
Joined: 12/05/21
Posts: 10
MoonlightJB
Full Access
Joined: 12/05/21
Posts: 10
02/11/2024 5:54 am

I've been studying jazz and what I've always been working on is understanding further knowledge on voicings and inversions. I've learned the major and minor triads, and root, 1st, and 2nd inversions. However, I know there is more on that, especially for jazz extended harmonies like I saw in the chord melody jazz tutorials (CMaj7 and ?? 1st inversion CMaj7 ??), and even learned slightly all through the internet and youtube on shell voicings. There are also what I found out called SPREAD voicings.


Any tips on how to understand better on extended harmony inversions, shell voicings, spread voicings, and any other I don't know of? 


Can this website probably upload new videos about this topic in the future? 


(Or maybe I've missed something and didn't delve deep enough here in the site, since I am a fast pacer lol)


Thanks


# 1
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
02/11/2024 3:50 pm
#1 Originally Posted by: MoonlightJB

I've been studying jazz and what I've always been working on is understanding further knowledge on voicings and inversions. I've learned the major and minor triads, and root, 1st, and 2nd inversions. However, I know there is more on that, especially for jazz extended harmonies like I saw in the chord melody jazz tutorials (CMaj7 and ?? 1st inversion CMaj7 ??), and even learned slightly all through the internet and youtube on shell voicings. There are also what I found out called SPREAD voicings.


Any tips on how to understand better on extended harmony inversions, shell voicings, spread voicings, and any other I don't know of? 


Can this website probably upload new videos about this topic in the future? 


(Or maybe I've missed something and didn't delve deep enough here in the site, since I am a fast pacer lol)


Thanks

The best way to understand them is to know what they are in the first place (how they are formed on the fretboard), then put them into practice playing typical jazz chord progressions and tunes (or at least the chord progressions to the tunes).  


I don't know how many or which of my jazz tutorials you've already worked through.  So, I'm going to mention some as examples.  If you've seen them, then find ways to apply them.  If you haven't yet, then work through them & start to apply them.


For example, you'd start with this one on the basic 7th chords in various voicings.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/1166/


You can start to apply it with the simple backing track examples in the tutorial.  Then you'll be ready for this one on comping chords.  It's more about seeing the overall possible shapes & using shell voicings based on them in various ways.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/2840/


When you get deeper into the process you can learn specific things like these variations on jazz turnarounds.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/2148/


After that you can try these jazz-blues tutorials that pare those voicing down even further while also adding melody lines to see how it all fits together.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/2595/


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/2605/


And eventually you start to apply those ideas to playing tunes!  


Where are you in your jazz learning?  Can play all the basic 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th chords?  Do you know how to play the inversions?  What tunes do you know or are you working on?  


I intend to produce more jazz style tutorials this year.  Just this weekend my 2 guitar arrangement of this standard was published.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/2956


This page has all the best GT jazz tutorials organized by topic. 


https://www.guitartricks.com/styles/jazz


Hope that helps.  Please ask if you have more specific questions.  Best of success!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 2
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
02/11/2024 5:03 pm

I also thought of this tutorial that covers this topic in a more general conceptual manner.  When you mentioned this:


"Any tips on how to understand better on extended harmony inversions, shell voicings, spread voicings, and any other I don't know of? "


This tutorial covers how to visualize any and all possible chromatic intervals in any given area of the fretboard.


https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial/462/


Now this is really broad, but it will show you how to visualize all the possible scale & chord tones as they relate to any given shape you might play.


So once you know how to see the 1-3-5 chord tones of any given major or minor chord in their various shapes, then you start to visualize all the diatonic scale degrees around that shape in order to add color tones. In one of those lessons I show specifically how to use these patterns to play certain jazz chord voicings.


This might be too advanced for where you are now.  But this is ultimately what you are aiming for:  see the basic chord tones in the shapes you play & see the scale degrees that surround those shapes to know where & how to add other chord tones to get a variety of voicings when you want them.


Again, hope that helps!


 


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 3
MoonlightJB
Full Access
Joined: 12/05/21
Posts: 10
MoonlightJB
Full Access
Joined: 12/05/21
Posts: 10
02/12/2024 1:49 am

Thank you again Chris!! It's really because I've been dedicated to your tutorials, I've really have broaden my playing from beginner to a level I didn't even imagine myself playing, and learned so much theory for me to understand jazz from you. Really do appreciate for how much effort you put in for us. And I do look forward to see more jazz tutorials!!


But yes I had realize the reality that I have to memorize and understand the fretboard more in order for me to play how each note forms for any chord rather than play them as a whole like the CAGED using the A E and D string for roots. 


Thanks again for your insightful tips! I will ask again if there are any questions too


edited
# 4
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,360
02/12/2024 12:21 pm
#4 Originally Posted by: MoonlightJB

Thank you again Chris!! It's really because I've been dedicated to your tutorials, I've really have broaden my playing from beginner to a level I didn't even imagine myself playing, and learned so much theory for me to understand jazz from you. Really do appreciate for how much effort you put in for us. And I do look forward to see more jazz tutorials!!


But yes I had realize the reality that I have to memorize and understand the fretboard more in order for me to play how each note forms for any chord rather than play them as a whole like the CAGED using the A E and D string for roots. 


Thanks again for your insightful tips! I will ask again if there are any questions too

You're welcome.  Glad to hear you've enjoyed my lessons & are learning so much from them.  Please do ask when you have questions & best of success going forward!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

Christopher Schlegel Lesson Directory
# 5

Please register with a free account to post on the forum.