the Bill Evans school · ii–V–I in C major
Rootless Voicings — B Form in C 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Dm9 | C – E – F – A | ♭7 · 9 · ♭3 · 5 |
| G13 | B – E – F – A | 3 · 13 · ♭7 · 9 |
| Cmaj9 | B – D – E – G | 7 · 9 · 3 · 5 |
Why it works
From Dm9 to G13, a single voice does all the work: C4 falls a half step to B3 while the other 3 notes hold. That stepwise pivot is the engine of the progression. Into Cmaj9, 3 voices settle by step (total motion of just 5 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
In C major this sits entirely on white keys — nothing to negotiate, which makes it the right key to memorize the shape in before taking it around the circle. The lowest note is B3 in the octave below middle C, comfortably clear of the muddy zone.
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 F. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where C major lives in the repertoire
C major is where every method book starts, but in the working repertoire it belongs to singalong standards like "All of Me", and tunes that lean minor-to-relative-major such as "Fly Me to the Moon" keep landing on its ii–V–I as a home cadence. Master the shape here, then leave quickly — the bandstand rarely stays in C.
About this voicing style
The same rootless grammar inverted: 7th on the bottom, for the keys where A form sits too low. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: Bill Evans comping on "Autumn Leaves" (Portrait in Jazz); Kenny Barron's left hand on ballads.
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← G · C · F →