7.

Quartal Comping & Combination Diminished

These two-handed voicings for a minor 7th chord are an extension of Miles Davis' 'SO WHAT' voicing,
over the whole Dorian scale. The starting point for the first chord is R47 in left hand, 35 in right hand.

The R47 left-hand voicing (two perfect 4ths) is played on 2, 5 and 6 of the scale, but on b3 an aug-
mented fourth (tritone) must be introduced to avoid departing from the mode.

The four chords in bars 7-8 of each key are second inversion MAJOR TRIADS moving up (or down)
in minor thirds, with a single left-hand note a semitone up from the root of the triad. These voicings are
derived from a diminished scale - the combined effect is of a dominant chord with b9, #9, #11 and 13.

Alternatively you could think of the four C7 chords below as Dbº, Eº, Gº and Bbº, all of which come
from the same diminished scale. That's why this is called COMBINATION DIMINISHED. Get used to
moving these shapes up and down in minor thirds!

All these voicings are used extensively by contemporary pianists, especially when comping. I've found
that practising them like this is an invaluable routine to help get them under one's fingers. Play as
smoothly as possible; if you have trouble getting a legato effect, use a tiny bit of sustain pedal.

{
q = 144 Swing 8s Tim Richards

bbœœ ™™
Cm7
˙˙ ™™
j j
(Dorian)
.
œœ ™™
˙˙
1

& 44 b˙˙ œœ bbœœ œœ ˙˙ ˙˙

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Ϫ
˙˙
? 44 b˙˙˙ bœ ˙™ œ ˙ œ™ bœ ˙ ˙
J J
3T

{
R 2 b3 5 6
C7¨9
Cm7 C©m7 Cm7
™
5
j
& b˙˙ n œ™ b œ
#œ nœ w
w n ˙˙˙ ˙
bb˙˙
###˙˙˙ n#˙˙˙

##nœœœ ™™™ nbnœœœ

A/B¨
? b˙˙˙ w
E¨/E
b˙
side-slipping C/D¨ F©/G
w
w b˙ n˙ n˙
J

{
b9

bbœœ ™™
up in minor 3rds

˙˙™™
Fm7
bœœ ™™
bbœœ. b ˙˙
(Dorian)
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9

& b˙˙ b˙˙

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J
˙˙ ™™ b œœ. ˙˙ b œœ ™™ J
bb ˙˙
? ˙ œ™ bœ
œœ
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˙˙
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{
F©m7 F7¨9
Fm7
n#œœ ™™ bnœœ
13 Fm7
& b˙˙ w #˙ ˙
J
w # ˙˙ bb˙˙ n˙˙˙ #˙˙
n#nœœœ ™™™ bbnœœœ
˙
bb ˙˙ side-slipping
w
w n˙
B/C A¨/A
n˙
F/F© D/E¨
? ˙ w #˙ b˙
J
5
down in minor 3rds
© 2016 Tim Richards
{
B¨m7 (Dorian)
j
˙˙ ™™
. ™ j
bœœ ™™ bbœœ ™
17

& b˙˙ bœœ bbœœ bb˙˙ œœ ˙˙ b˙˙

˙˙ ™™ ™
bœœ ™™ bb œœœ ™™
. ˙˙
bb œœœ
˙™
œ œ ˙˙ b˙˙
? bbb˙˙˙ œ™ bœœ ˙ bœœ ˙ ˙
J 3T
J

{
B¨7¨9
21 B¨m7 Bm7 B¨m7

n#œœ ™™
& b˙˙ j #˙˙ n˙˙˙
n
bœœ w
w b ˙˙˙ ˙
bb ˙˙ ˙
™
nnnœœœ ™™ bbbœœœ
G/A¨
? bbb˙˙˙ w b˙
B¨/B D¨/D E/F
w
w n˙ n˙ n˙
J

{
b9

E¨m7
bbœœ ™™
(Dorian)

˙˙ ™™
.
bœœ ™™
25
bœœ bbœœ bb˙˙
& bb˙˙ bœœ ˙˙ b˙˙
J J
bb œœœ ™™™ ˙˙ ™™ bbb œœœ ™™™
. b ˙˙
b˙ œœ bbb œœœ ˙ œœ ˙˙ bb ˙˙˙
? bb˙˙ bœ ˙™ bœ ˙
J J
3T

{
E¨m7 Em7 E¨m7 E¨7¨9 A¨%

nnœœ ™™ bbœœ
29
j #˙˙ b b˙˙ U
& bb˙˙ w
w ˙ b˙ ˙
bb˙˙ n ˙˙
˙ bbw
w
nnœœ ™™ bb œœ
w
b˙ w
n œ ™ bœ
A/B¨
? bb˙˙ w
w b˙ nG¨/G˙ n˙
E¨/E C/D¨

J b˙ bw
w
5

When you have mastered these voicings and can play them from memory, try similar routines
over the following chords:

• Em7 - Am7 - Dm7 - Gm7 (8 bars in each key)

• Abm7 - Dbm7 - F#m7 - Bm7 (8 bars in each key)

Use the Dorian voicings in any tune that has two bars or more on a minor chord. Play around
with the timing as well, rather than confining yourself to the rhythms given - they're merely a
suggestion. See 'Quartal Comping' in 'Exploring Jazz Piano' Vol 2, pp. 44-45.

Use the Dominant voicings when you want to create interest in a V-I cadence - if the dominant
chord lasts a bar only, play the chords in quarter notes! Practise resolving them to both major
and minor chords. See 'Exploring Jazz Piano' Vol 2, pp. 245.