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Magic Voicing System worksheet 

With this simple system, we’re able to play more melodically with more top-note options, less
repeated notes, and better voice-leading when we comp.

Let’s start with the very first voicing structure that is at the heart of this system - the​ 5-Note
Pentatonic voicing​.

The Major Pentatonic Set

We’ll base our first voicing off of the​ Bb

Major Pentatonic scale​ pictured here:

Using these 5 notes, we can create our first voicing: our

Bb6/9 or​ “Bb Home”​ voicing:

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Now, here is where the “magic’ part comes. If we move each of these notes up one tone of the
Bb Major Pentatonic scale, we get 4 more inversions of this Bb Home voicing:

This gives us a selection of top notes that make up a complete pentatonic scale - all on the
same chord!

But the magic doesn’t stop there. Not only can we use this set of voicings for a Bb6/9 chord, we
can use these same shapes to voice 4 other chords: G-7, Ebmaj7, C7sus, and Abmaj7(#11).

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The Diminished Set

This next set of voicings are based off of the ​Whole/Half Diminished​ scale. This 8-note scale is
based off of a pattern of whole step/half step. Contained within this scale are 2 Diminished 7
chords.

Using the notes from this scale, we can build beautiful diminished voicings:

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This set works not just for Ebo7, but for Gbo7, Ao7, and Co7 as well:

But wait, there’s even more magic! This set also makes for wonderful Dominant7b9 voicings:

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Next, let’s combine these first 2 sets to create useful ​voicings for a 2-5-1​. In the example
below, we have a series of 2-5-1 progressions (we start with the 1 - Bb).

We have our Bb Home Pentatonic voicing set for the Bb6/9, the Eb Home Pentatonic voicings
for the Cmin7, and our Eb Diminished Home voicing set for all of th eF7b9.

You can already see: our melodic possibilities with this system - even with just 2 of the
structures - is rich and varied.

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The Dominant Set

What if we don’t want to use a Dominant7b9 chord but rather a straight Dominant7 chord based
off of the Mixolydian scale? Let’s look at our solution:

Here we have some custom shapes, all based off of the C Mixolydian (Dominant) scale that
sound great! These give us 6(!!!) options for melody notes, all with clean 5-note voicings that
have no repeated notes or huge spreads.

These are great for comping over a Blues, or on any occasion where you need an un-altered
Dominant7 chord.

The Minor 6 Pentatonic Set

This next set is based off of Melodic Minor harmony. Let’s take a look at the Melodic Minor scale
in G:

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Notice that this scale has a minor 3rd like a Dorian, but a major 7th like a Major scale. Just like
our Major Pentatonic System, we can build voicings using the Pentatonic Scale based off of this
Melodic Minor:

Unfortunately, this Pentatonic scale will cause some pretty disonant intervals as we go through
all the inversions. I’ve changed some of the shapes using the notes of the G Melodic Minor
scale to compensate and create stronger sounding voicings.

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With that in mind, here’s our G Minor 6 Pentatonic Set:

Not only does this set work great for Minor 6/9 chords, but it also works for Half-Diminished
chords - commonly used as the 2 chord in a minor 2-5-1. This G Minor 6 Pentatonic Home set
would work as the E Half-Diminished set.

If we want to do a minor 2-5-1 in G, our 2 chord would be an A Half-Diminished. For that, we

would use the C Minor 6 Pentatonic Set:

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The Altered Set

To round out our minor 2-5-1, we’ll need a Dominant7alt. chord.

This is our simplest set as we’ll play either the 3rd and 7th (or 7th and 3rd) in the left hand, and
a simple triad pair in the right hand. For example, here’s our 5 chord, D7alt.:

Notice we have either F# and C or C and F# in the left hand, and either a Bb or Ab triad in the
right hand. Easy and effective.

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Let’s put these three chords together to make a 2-5-1 in Gminor:

Great sounding shapes, melodic variety with the top note and no repeated notes or large
spreads. Magic!

These are the basics of our Magic Voicing system. With these simple structures, you can comp
melodically, and with full, beautiful voicings over virtually anything.

But this is just the start of our journey. Getting these in our hands and being able to recall them
and play them freely will take practice, patience, and perseverance.

Use the Guided Practice Sessions in this course again and again to lock these chords in.

And check out our ​Daily Guided Practice Sessions​ for ongoing work on this incredible voicing
system.

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