the Herbie Hancock school · ii–V–I in B major
Upper-Structure Triads 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♯m11 | E – B – B – D♯ – F♯ | ♭3 · ♭7 · ♭7 · 9 · 11 |
| F♯7(♯9♭13) | E – A♯ – D – F♯ – A | ♭7 · 3 · ♭13 · root · ♯9 |
| Bmaj9 | D♯ – A♯ – F♯ – A♯ – C♯ | 3 · 7 · 5 · 7 · 9 |
Why it works
From C♯m11 to F♯7(♯9♭13), 4 voices move (B3→A♯3, B4→D5, D♯5→F♯5, F♯5→A5) against 1 held tone. Into Bmaj9, 4 voices settle by step or small leap (total motion of just 25 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
B major puts 9 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 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
A plain major triad stacked over the guide tones — simple triad, sophisticated colour. Read the full story and get it in all 12 keys →
Listen: Herbie Hancock behind Miles and on "Maiden Voyage"; McCoy Tyner's right-hand triads; Bill Dobbins' pedagogy.
Around the circle
Practice keys in the order bassists walk them — up a fourth: ← G♭ · B · E →