the Bill Evans school · ii–V–I in B major
Rootless Voicings — A Form in B Major
The audio adds each chord's root in the bass — that's the context these rootless shapes are designed to sit in. The MIDI file is exactly the notation.
The notes
| Chord | Notes (low → high) | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| C♯m9 | E – G♯ – B – D♯ | ♭3 · 5 · ♭7 · 9 |
| F♯13 | E – G♯ – A♯ – D♯ | ♭7 · 9 · 3 · 13 |
| Bmaj9 | D♯ – F♯ – A♯ – C♯ | 3 · 5 · 7 · 9 |
Why it works
From C♯m9 to F♯13, a single voice does all the work: B3 falls a half step to A♯3 while the other 3 notes hold. That stepwise pivot is the engine of the progression. Into Bmaj9, 3 voices settle by step (total motion of just 5 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
B major puts 9 of the 12 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 D♯3 in the octave below middle C.
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 G♭ and headed to E. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where B major lives in the repertoire
B major barely exists in the pre-war songbook, then Coltrane made it unavoidable: it is one of the three key centers of "Giant Steps", and post-Coltrane harmony visits it constantly. Five sharps look forbidding on paper, but the hand discovers what Chopin told his students — the long fingers belong on the black keys. Meet this key before a Coltrane tune introduces you the hard way.
About this voicing style
The classic four-note left hand: 3–5–7–9 grammar, no root, maximum color. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: Bill Evans — "Waltz for Debby"; Wynton Kelly on "Freddie Freeloader".
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← G♭ · B · E →