The reference

All Voicings

Six classic voicing styles × twelve keys. Rows are sounds, columns are keys — click any cell.

Style CD♭DE♭EFG♭GA♭AB♭B
Shell Voicings D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Rootless Voicings — A Form D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Rootless Voicings — B Form D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Block Chords D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Quartal Voicings D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
The "So What" Voicing D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Drop 2 Voicings D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Stride Tenths D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B
Upper-Structure Triads D–G–CE♭–A♭–D♭E–A–DF–B♭–E♭F♯–B–EG–C–FA♭–D♭–G♭A–D–GB♭–E♭–A♭B–E–AC–F–B♭C♯–F♯–B

By style

the Bud Powell school

Shell Voicings

Two notes per chord — root plus 3rd or 7th. The bebop left hand.

the Bill Evans school

Rootless Voicings — A Form

The classic four-note left hand: 3–5–7–9 grammar, no root, maximum color.

the Bill Evans school

Rootless Voicings — B Form

The same rootless grammar inverted: 7th on the bottom, for the keys where A form sits too low.

the Red Garland school

Block Chords

A chiming right-hand octave with a fifth locked inside, over a rootless left hand.

the McCoy Tyner school

Quartal Voicings

Stacked fourths over open fifths — the modern, open, modal sound.

Bill Evans, Kind of Blue

The "So What" Voicing

Three fourths plus a major third on top. One grip, planed across all three chords.

the big-band arranging tradition

Drop 2 Voicings

A close four-note chord cracked open — the second voice from the top dropped an octave.

the Teddy Wilson school

Stride Tenths

The swing-era left hand: root and third spread a tenth apart, under a right-hand chord.

the Herbie Hancock school

Upper-Structure Triads

A plain major triad stacked over the guide tones — simple triad, sophisticated colour.

By key

C majorD♭ majorD majorE♭ majorE majorF majorG♭ majorG majorA♭ majorA majorB♭ majorB major