What Chord Voicings should I learn?

[Ashlee]

hey Ashlee,
As you can see there are lots of different methods and loads of books about it.
For me there seem to be 2 different approaches: 1) Think of the where the chords root is and work out the intervals around it (Drop 2's etc. The system I was taught at Berklee and I think is most common) or 2) Learn what interval is the top note of the chord (as used in Scott Hendersons chord voicing book) which confuses me but may work for you.

Your teachers approach sounds good. Just remember that:
Where and how you use a voicing (the theory) is at least as important as which one you use in getting a jazzy sound. You don't need to memorise 100's of voicings. By learning the basic core chords (1,3,5,7 and inversions) and knowing which notes to move up or down you can deal with the vast majority of the charts you will come across.

It may be boring but the repetition is a great way to get them under your hands. Perhaps get a jamman or similar recording device and comp for yourself. That way you are motivated to do a good job

It is a long path, but fortunately there are lots of guys and books around to guide you. Good luck

Yes, I agree! It seems that there are sooo many ways to play one thing. I am just trying to make sure i fully understand WHY those things work, so that i can learn to use them in any contexts, and also i want to have more options. Jazz is just so interesting to me, and it feels like i can NEVER get bored because there are endless possiblilities!

As you can see i haven't posted in a awhile, i've been practicing! haha Trying to get better.

I appreciate everyone's advice and tips, thank you so much for taking the time to help me out! I know you don't have to!

God Bless,

Til next time!

[mydoglikessalsa]

Ashlee,
To prevent boredom make sure you practice your comping with a background, Aebersolds or Band in a Box work great. Without getting into too much depth, you could also research substitutions a little bit on the theory pages to get extra spots to play the few grips you already know. (Playing an Fmaj7 over Dmin in the bass yields Dmin9, etc.) Good luck!

Oh! And don't just learn the chord forms as pictures in your head. Figure out how each note in the chord functions, so you can easily convert a maj7 chord to a 7, or a min to maj, without actually having to know a separate chord grip. (I'm too lazy to learn a thousand different inversions. But, since you have to know all your notes and the theory to solo effectively, I can modify the grips I have memorized pretty quickly.)

[Ashlee]

Ashlee,
To prevent boredom make sure you practice your comping with a background, Aebersolds or Band in a Box work great. Without getting into too much depth, you could also research substitutions a little bit on the theory pages to get extra spots to play the few grips you already know. (Playing an Fmaj7 over Dmin in the bass yields Dmin9, etc.) Good luck!

Oh! And don't just learn the chord forms as pictures in your head. Figure out how each note in the chord functions, so you can easily convert a maj7 chord to a 7, or a min to maj, without actually having to know a separate chord grip. (I'm too lazy to learn a thousand different inversions. But, since you have to know all your notes and the theory to solo effectively, I can modify the grips I have memorized pretty quickly.)

Thank you so much! I will be sure to do so!

I think one of the best things I have taken from this website is the importance of actually learning the theory behind the chords rather than just chord SHAPES!

It gives you the ability to modify any chord and not be stuck in a box full of shapes.

Thank you all again so much! I am truly greatful!

[RunningBeagle]

I've been putting together a series on "chords every guitar player should know". I've broken them down into the following:

• Freddie Green - Bass + 3rd + 7th
• Drop 2, "9 no 5"
• Drop 3
• 3-note voicings - 3rd +7th + One Tension
• -7b5 and Maj7b5 substitutions

Beyond that, people work out all sorts of systems, but I think these are pretty fundamental. They really are more than you need for most gigs. mydoglikessalsa brings up a good substitution strategy, but I think it might come after the basics are learned. Still, those types of substitutions are very useful.