JAZZ PIANO

HANDBOOK

JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016 1

 CHORD
TONES &
TENSIONS

2 JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016

 Chord Tones
1, 3, 5, 7

Tensions
also called extensions and
non-chord tones

9, 11, 13

Natural Tensions Altered Tensions

9, 11, 13 b9, #9, #11, b13, b5, #5

diatonic, as they occur in the key raised or lowered from their

diatonic/natural state

*note: the 5 is a chord tone when it is

diatonic, but a tension when altered

JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016 3

 VOICINGS

4 JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016

Building Comping Voicings up to Four Notes

A few guidelines:
• Keep voicings centered around middle C as much as possible. *This is really important.
• It’s fine for the voicing to be entirely below middle C, but not for it to be entirely above
middle C. Always have at least one note on middle C or below.
• Lowest note that sounds the best = Db below middle C
• Highest note above middle C that sounds best = C above middle C (there are exceptions)
• See example:

&4
4 ∑
at least one note
below: w
no higher than: C7
ww
w w
example
? 4 bw
Piano no lower than:
b ww
4 ∑ ∑

4 D G C D G C
Practice methods to be7 implemented
7 with the7 steps below. These 7 can be7 used in any 7order:
min maj min maj
&4 ˙ ∑ ∑
• Play: voicing in the right hand with roots in the left hand.

˙
• Play: voicing 3 ˙˙ ww
in the right7 hand with roots
3
in the left hand, and sing the melody.
• Play: voicing 7 in the left 3hand with melody
7 in right hand.
Pno.• Play: voicing in the left hand while improvising in the right hand.

?4 ˙
˙ 7 ˙˙ 3 w 7
˙ w 3
Here are the4steps for CLOSE
˙ POSITION w ˙
1. Guide4Tones: Your voicing is only
3 7
VOICINGS.
at least one note They
˙ should be
C
learned in
7
w
order:

& 4 method would w w

th no higher than:
∑ be to playbelow:
the root in the left hand and 3rd and 7thwin the right hand,
rd
the 3 and 7 of each chord. (For example, one
practice
w 7 w 7
4 D G C D G C
etc.) 7 7 7 7
minpracticing this step, try
majand find SMOOTHmin VOICE LEADING. maj
& 44 ˙˙ ˙˙ ww ∑ ∑
Piano a. While
no lower than: This means to
example
b w
4˙
? 3rdsb wand 7ths, it’s easy to have your
˙ w
make5 the smallest movement possible between each voicing. When playing just
all thewtime, but try to
13
∑ hand jumping around
∑
9

find the path of least movement between each chord. See example:
˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙
4 Ó
Pno.

? ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
4 D min ˙G
9 13 9

wC maj
4 ˙ D min ˙ G w C maj
7 7 7 7 7 7

&4 ˙ ˙ w ∑ ∑
˙ 3
˙ w 7 3

4 D min G C maj D min G C maj

7 3 7
7 7 7 7 7 7

&?44 ˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ ww ˙ ∑ ˙ ∑

Pno.

w ˙ ˙ ww
4 ˙˙ ˙˙ ww
5 9 13 7 3 7

˙
9 13 3 7 3

˙
9

w
˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ www
?4 ˙
Pno.
˙
D˙˙ min G˙˙ Cwmaj Ó
9 13

44 D min JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016

9

wC maj
13
G
5 9
7 7 7 7 7 7
˙
5
& 4 ˙˙ ˙˙ ww ∑ ∑
˙ ˙ w
5 9 13
 4 D
&4 ˙
min7 G7 C maj7
∑
D min7 G7
∑
C maj7
˙˙ 7 at wleast3 one note
4
˙ C
w 7 the 3rd and 7th plus one tension note! This tension
3 7

& 4will ALWAYS be above both the 3rd and 7th and, w ww
no higher than:
2. 3-note Voicing: ∑Your voicing
7 3
is now
below:
w w
or the413 (an exception is to the use the 5 on some ˙ min7 chords.)
Pno. either be the 9th
˙˙ 3 ww 7
note at this point, it will
?a. Keep ˙
4no lowerthethan:same
˙
th th 7

˙ SMOOTHw VOICE LEADING. ˙ example

? 4 bw
Piano 3
See example: 7 3

˙ bw w
4 ∑ ∑ w

4 D min7
& 4 D˙˙min7
G7 C maj7 D min7 G 7
∑ 7
C maj7
∑
4 ˙
5
G˙˙˙ 7 9 ww 7
wC maj
13
D min G
7
C maj7

&4 ˙3 ˙ ww ˙˙ 9
∑
˙˙ 13
∑
˙ ˙ ˙˙ 9
? 4 ˙7
Ó
Pno. 7 3

˙ ˙ ˙
4 w
3 7

˙ ˙˙ 3
?4 ˙ ˙˙˙ 7
Pno.

˙ 7 w ww 7
4 ˙ w 3
˙
3

4 D min AddG an additional

7
D˙min7
C majtension note – this timeGit will be IN BETWEEN the 3
7 7 7
C wmaj7
&74. If˙˙˙you have˙˙˙already used
www the 9 , then this time it∑ will be the 13 and vice
∑ versa.
rd
3. 4-note Voicing:

D˙now
th th th

4
and
min your
5
G˙voicing should
97 Cwmaj be one of twoDthings.
7 13
9 13
7
min GGoing fromCthemajbottom up it will
7 7 7

& 4 be:˙˙ i. 3, 13,˙˙ 7, 9

a. So
∑ ∑
9

ww
˙ ˙ ˙ www
? 4 ˙ii. 7, 9, 3,˙ 13
˙ w ˙˙˙
Pno. 13

˙˙˙
5 9

w
9 13

4 iii. One exception iswa min7 chord – sometimes

9
13
˙
5 9

˙˙˙ ˙˙ Ó than the

˙˙˙ better
?4 ˙
Ó
Pno. the 5 will sound
˙ ˙ ˙
4
9 13 9

w
9 or 13.
˙ ˙ ˙ w

4 D min G7 C maj7 D min7 G 7 C maj7

7

& 4 ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙ 9 ww13

ww 9
∑ ∑
˙ 13
5
9
©

˙˙˙ 9 ˙˙˙13 www139

?4
Pno.
˙ ˙5 ˙ 9 w
4 ˙ w
˙ ˙
˙ Ó

You now have a stock four-note voicing that can be manipulated and changed to suit your taste
and preference. Play around with ALTERED TENSIONS to customize your sound. (For
example, play the b9 and/or b13 on the five chord.)
©

6 JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016

To create a SPREAD VOICING or OPEN POSITION VOICING use the same four notes but
move the second tension to the top of the chord. Omit the root completely (the bass player will
cover that!) and play two notes in each hand. When practicing spread voicings, you typically
won’t be playing the melody, another instrument will. See example:
2 Jazz Piano Handbook

4 ˙
D min7 G
˙
C maj7 D min7 G7 C maj7
7

&4 ˙ ˙ ww ˙˙ ˙˙ ww

˙˙ ˙˙ ww
?4 ˙˙
Pno.
˙˙ w
4 w

You can alter the tensions in a spread voicing as well.

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Pno.

? ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Guidelines for using Altered Tensions
*these are not black and white rules, there is always room for interpretation and
personal choice

• Tensions used for minor 7 chords are usually natural

• When the chord is dominant and the root is resolving down a fifth, the b9 and
b13 are good choices
• The #11 is typically not used on a minor chord but can sound great on
dominant and major 7 chords
• The #11 gives a very final sound to a major 7 chord (ie: the last chord of a
section, or the last chord of a tune)
• You can use the b9 and #9 in the same chord, depending on where you place
each one in the voicing
• You can create movement in your comping by playing natural tensions, then
altered tensions on the same chord before moving to the next chord
o Example: G7 with natural 9 and 13, then G7(b9, b13), then Cmaj7
o Example: G7 with natural 9 and 13, then G7(#9), then Cmaj7(#11)
o Example: G7 with natural 9 and 13, then G7(#9, 13), then G7(b9, b13),
then Cmaj7

JAZZ PIANO HANDBOOK © KATE SKINNER, UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO, 2016 7