the Herbie Hancock school · ii–V–I in G♭ (F♯) major
Upper-Structure Triads in G♭ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| A♭m11 | C♭ – G♭ – G♭ – B♭ – D♭ | ♭3 · ♭7 · ♭7 · 9 · 11 |
| D♭7(♯9♭13) | C♭ – F – A – D♭ – F♭ | ♭7 · 3 · ♭13 · root · ♯9 |
| G♭maj9 | B♭ – F – D♭ – F – A♭ | 3 · 7 · 5 · 7 · 9 |
Why it works
From A♭m11 to D♭7(♯9♭13), 4 voices move (G♭3→F3, G♭4→A4, B♭4→D♭5, D♭5→F♭5) against 1 held tone. Into G♭maj9, 4 voices settle by step or small leap (total motion of just 25 semitones). Smoothness here is measurable, not a metaphor.
G♭ major puts 8 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 B♭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 D♭ and headed to B. Say the chord symbols out loud as you play; naming and hearing are different skills, and you want both.
Where G♭ major lives in the repertoire
G♭ major is the deep end: six flats, almost no standards natively in the key, and a spelling quirk — the voicing here may contain C♭ or F♭, which sit on white keys despite the flats. Players who work through G♭ report the same surprise Irving Berlin institutionalized: the black-key terrain is actually comfortable once the eye stops panicking. This is the key that proves you really know the shape.
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: ← D♭ · G♭ · B →