drop 3 voicings- substituting notes

rafapak · #1 07-09-2011, 07:29 AM

hi guys

I would like to ask you for help. As many people know both Drop 3 and drop 2 arranging techniques were devised so that chords and their voicings are playable on a fretboard. Still , there are some drop 3 voicings that require big stretches. I read somewhere some time ago that players usually replace some notes with another in drop 3 voicings in order to avoid big stretches. Can you tell me those rules? Which notes are substituted by which notes and in what voicings? As far as I remember it was said that the seventh is replaced with sixths in some cases but I can't remember exactly.

regards
rafal

JakeAcci · #2 07-09-2011, 07:42 AM

I think the more practical thing to do is, when making an arrangement or conceiving a block chord solo, start with the voicings you like the sound of and if you come across ones you can't play yet, look for suitable adjustments.

Often changing a note by a whole or half step can minimize a stretch...but then you have a different note in the voicing.

I'm curious, can you give some examples of a voicings that give you trouble? Is the first inversion maj7 drop 2 one of them?

m78w · #3 07-09-2011, 08:06 AM

Hey
There are some "standard" note subs you can do with any 1-3-5-7 chord shape. Here is a basic list of what notes to use when replacing notes in a chord, but these are just basic suggestions, you can go beyond these, but they're a good place to start

Sub the 9th for the root
Sub the 6th for the 5th
Sub the 11th or #11th for the 5th
Sub the 6th for the 7th

That's a good start, and if you take any Drop 3 you already know, then practice replacing any or all of these notes you now get a ton of options from the chords you already know, without learning any new fingerings, just subbing one or more notes out of the current shape.

23skidoo · #4 07-09-2011, 08:25 AM

It doesn't exactly answer your question, but there is a great deal of information on the practical application of drop 2 and drop 3 voicings at this link:

II-V-I Tutor: Introduction

On each page, you can play with different subs and extensions and explore all of the various inversions as well..... a great resource, if you don't already know all of this stuff.

rafapak · #5 07-10-2011, 04:03 AM

hi guys

what I meant is for instance this drop 3 voicing of G maj 7 chord:

E 3
H 7
G 4
D
A 5
E

it is hard for me to play this one. I will try to do some substitutions according to the rules mentioned in above posts.

bako · #6 07-10-2011, 07:20 AM

You can play the same exact voicing here

D--X-B-F#-G-X
10-X-9-11--8-X

or do as Matt suggests

Is that Finland where B is referred to as H?

rafapak · #7 07-10-2011, 07:29 AM

hi bako

i don't get your diagram. can you rewrite it maybe in a vertical fashion so that it is easier for me to locate the notes?

rafapak · #8 07-10-2011, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bako

You can play the same exact voicing here

D--X-B-F#-G-X
10-X-9-11--8-X

or do as Matt suggests

Is that Finland where B is referred to as H?

B is referred to as H in Poland but some people started calling B B and when B is lowered we call this not B flat

bako · #9 07-10-2011, 09:03 AM

D--X-B-F#-G-X

The letter row tells the note names and shows the string they are played on.

To be read left to right from low to high

E--A-D--G--B-E
VI-V-IV-III-II--I

10-X-9-11--8-X

The number row tells the fret #'s and the string they are played on.

The X's are strings not played

rafapak · #10 07-10-2011, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bako

D--X-B-F#-G-X

The letter row tells the note names and shows the string they are played on.

To be read left to right from low to high

E--A-D--G--B-E
VI-V-IV-III-II--I

10-X-9-11--8-X

The number row tells the fret #'s and the string they are played on.

The X's are strings not played

thanks!