Chord Voicing

In the last post we learned a couple of things: one, how roman numerals are used in chords/scales and, two, the formula of breaking a major chord/scale down to its most closed form, the diminished chord/scale.

Now we are going to look at how to voice chords. What is voicing? It is simply playing chords very open or very closed. For example, let's look at a G7. In root position it would look like this: G, B, D, F. We can play all of these notes in bass and treble. On the piano it would look like this:

 L. H. (bass) G, F (fingering: 5, 1)
R.H. (treble) D, B (fingering: 1, 5)
This is an open voicing.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                                                                 
Or you can play closed voicing, which would look like this:

L.H. (bass) B, F (fingering: 3, 1)
R.H. (treble) D, G (fingering: 1, 4)
                                                                                                                                                   
Or if you want it really closed you can play all notes in either bass or treble:

D, F, G, B  or F, G, B, D
or any combination of the notes in the chord.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                 
If you choose to play the entire chord in the bass, it is best to play all notes no lower than bass C (the C one octave below middle C).

If you are not familiar with reading chords with the note names written vertically, and see them like that,  you want to build the chord up from the bottom note. For instance, in the last example (closed chord, all in one clef) you would play it;

 F, G, B, D                                                                                                                      
fingering:        1,  2,  3,  5 (R.H.)   5, 4, 2, 1 (L.H.)
                                                                                                                     
I realize this is keyboard theory, but if you play guitar (or any other stringed instrument) I'm sure you understand this concept of open and closed voicing. If not, let me know and I will be happy to post the information for you. We all learn differently, so don't ever hesitate to ask. :)