the McCoy Tyner school · ii–V–I in D♭ (C♯) major
Quartal Voicings in D♭ Major
The notes
| Chord | Notes (low → high) | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| E♭m11 | E♭ – B♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ | root · 5 · 11 · ♭7 · ♭3 |
| A♭7sus | A♭ – E♭ – A♭ – D♭ – G♭ | root · 5 · root · 11 · ♭7 |
| D♭6/9 | D♭ – A♭ – F – B♭ – E♭ | root · 5 · 3 · 6 · 9 |
Why it works
From E♭m11 to A♭7sus, 2 voices move (E♭3→A♭2, B♭3→E♭3) against 3 held tones. Into D♭6/9, 5 voices settle by step or small leap (total motion of just 19 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
D♭ major puts 14 of the 15 notes on black keys, so the hand rides high on the keyboard — many players find these grips easier to grab here, the way Irving Berlin could only play in F♯. The lowest note is A♭2 in the low register.
Practice tip: play the progression rubato first and listen for the held tones, then put the metronome on 2 and 4 at a slow tempo. When the grab is automatic, move around the circle of fourths — you are coming from A♭ and headed to G♭. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where D♭ major lives in the repertoire
D♭ major is ballad country: "Body and Soul", the most-recorded standard of them all, lives here, and its opening bars work this exact cadence. Pianists tend to love D♭ — the hand falls naturally across the black keys — while horn players grumble; that tension is why jam-session versions stay put in D♭ and everyone is expected to cope.
About this voicing style
Stacked fourths over open fifths — the modern, open, modal sound. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: McCoy Tyner — "Passion Dance"; Chick Corea — "Matrix" comping.
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← A♭ · D♭ · G♭ →