Blues Voicing Ideas

Bob Russell
chorus 1: "inside voicings" (strings 2 thru 5)

b9 F + 7(b9)
4 .. www w b www bw
F 13 B F 11
b
& 4 bw b ww w # ww
bw
Guitar
w
F 13 F 11
T .
.
6 6 8 7
A 7
7
5
6
8
8
6
7
B 6 5 8 6

b 13 7(# 9)
D +w
ww w ww
B B dim F 13
b a ww
& b ww b www
n
b ww #w
5

8 6
5 4
6 6
5 5
5
8 11
7 10
7 10
6 9

C + 7(#9) D 7(# 9)
b9 C + 7(b9)
ww # # www b ˙˙˙
G m9 F9 D
# ˙˙ b b ˙˙ b˙ .Ó.
& b ww w ˙ # ˙˙ b ˙˙ # ˙˙
9
˙

.
.
10 9 8 6 4 2
10 8 8 5 4 1
8 8 7 4 3 2
10 7 8 5 4 1
9

©2009
2 Blues Comping - a few voicing ideas

chorus 2: "open" (4ths and 2nds featured, guide tones not always present)

b 13 F + 7(#9)
ww ww wwww b b # www
F 13 B F 13
b .
& . ww w
b w w
13

. 3 3 3 4

.
3 3 3 4
5 5 5 6
7 6 7 7

13
note: some pitches are spelled enharmonically to make voice motion easier to see. Chord symbols represent intended
functions of the voicings - not all tones will be present in each voicing.

b 13
b # wwww
B dim (Ñ13)
ww ww w
B f 13 D 7 alt
b w
& b w b ww
n www
17

3 3 3 6
3 3 3 6
5 4 5 8
6 6 7 10

17

d + 7(#9)
ww b b b wwww ˙˙ b ˙
g m9 C7 alt f 13 g 13 C7 alt
w ˙ n˙ b b b ˙˙˙
&b w ˙˙˙ # # ˙˙˙ ˙
n ˙ ..
21

.
5 4 3 1 5 4

.
6 4 3 1 5 4
7 6 5 3 7 6
8 8 7 4 9 8

21