drop 2 voicings

**bulletstrat** · 03-02-2015, 11:06 AM

so i am tryin to practise drop 2 voicings but i have a question since the drop 2 voicing is when you lower the second highest note on octave to get the voicing, dosent that mean any four or more note chord shape can be a drop 2 voicing or can be dropped to a drop 2 voicing? if thats the case how do you comp with them or use them during a jam how do you know this is a drop 2 voicing? for example wouldnt a drop 2 voicing for a minor 6 (fret numbers:x,7,7,5,7,x) be the same as a first inversion of that minor 6 chord? (fret numbers:x,3,4,2,5,x)

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 03-02-2015, 11:12 AM

I just know them. I'm not being funny. You sit down and learn them. There are not that many. Someone here probably has a pdf of them all.

**mr. beaumont** · 03-02-2015, 11:18 AM

Lol, BDLH, me too...learned 'em while trying to arrange solo guitar stuff...didn't even know they were called "drop 2" or "drop 3" until a year or two later, I just knew they were playable. That's the only magic to the drop 2.

**bulletstrat** · 03-02-2015, 11:24 AM

well a drop 2 is an open position chord right? then that means that you get a drop 2 voicing when you drop the 2nd highest note in a closed position chord. so an open position chord is already a drop 2 is that it?

**Stuart Elliott** · 03-02-2015, 11:25 AM

Both of your minor 6 chord voicings are drop 2.

Here's a good layout of Drop 2 voicings.

**BigDaddyLoveHandles** · 03-02-2015, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by Stuart Elliott

Both of your minor 6 chord voicings are drop 2.

Here's a good layout of Drop 2 voicings.

^^^ That's what I was hoping for. When you use them, you don't mentally think "okay, let's see, what's a closed voicing. Uh huh. Now let me take the second-highest note and drop it an octave. Uh huh. Now let me find that on the guitar's neck. Uh huh. Now let me find a fingering for it. Uh huh." You just have them memorized and grab it. Then practice common patterns of drop-2 voicings for common progressions.

**David B** · 03-02-2015, 11:33 AM

Bulletstrat,
I highly recommend that you pick up Roni Ben-Hur's instructional DVD 'Chordability'. All the questions in your first post are addressed in it. I see that it's $17 direct from Roni's site: Roni Ben-Hur - Chordability

Here's an excerpt from YouTube:

**dingusmingus** · 03-02-2015, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by bulletstrat

for example wouldnt a drop 2 voicing for a minor 6 (fret numbers:x,7,7,5,7,x) be the same as a first inversion of that minor 6 chord? (fret numbers:x,3,4,2,5,x)

Yep, that's right--you've got it. There are four inversions of that chord on each of three strings sets (strings 1-4, 2-5, & 3-6), for a total of twelve drop-2 voicings of any chord.

Not all of them are equally grab-able, but most are feasible.

**targuit** · 03-02-2015, 11:37 AM

Just my opinion, but if you understand the concept of intervals in chord construction, inversions are rather simple. But, the point is not to "learn" inversions like for a test. But rather to think of them in terms of voice leading. If you know the fundamental idea of building a chord as intervals, you have identified the notes in a three, four, or more note chord. In a C7 chord, C...E...G and Bb. Those notes can "inverted" in any position on the fret board. The important thing is that the lines in terms of the phrases (melody and harmonies) should be guided by the principles of good voice leading.

That is another thread, but I believe it is not about "memorizing drop 2 chord inversions" but applying your understanding of voice leading in the context of the melody and harmony in your arrangement.

Jay

**bulletstrat** · 03-02-2015, 08:43 PM

so basicly inversions can be drop voicings themselves?

**jordanklemons** · 03-02-2015, 08:53 PM

You can invert any chord and you can make any chord into a drop voicing. It's hard to conceptualize on guitar because everything is so angular and disjointed...makes more sense to look at it on a piano bulletstrat.

But when we talk about the basic building of a 4-note chord, we're talking about it in closed position...4 way close. Within one octave.

From the root up, a CMaj7 chord is

C E G B

That can be inverted to
E G B C
G B C E
B C E G

Those are the four inversions of the closed position chord. Good luck playing them on guitar though. Some are easy in certain positions, some are tricky but possible...some are just silly.

Drop 2 is simply taking the second to highest note and bringing it down an octave. Which makes it significantly easier to play on guitar.

So
C E G B
becomes
G C E B

Now this can be inverted also and you get

G C E B
B E G C
C G B E
E B C G

These are significantly easier to finger on the guitar than their 4 way close counterparts. Hope that helps, on some level.

**Cunamara** · 03-02-2015, 10:26 PM

Originally Posted by David B

Bulletstrat,
I highly recommend that you pick up Roni Ben-Hur's instructional DVD 'Chordability'. All the questions in your first post are addressed in it. I see that it's $17 direct from Roni's site: Roni Ben-Hur - Chordability

I just got this from Roni a couple of weeks ago. It's exactly what it says on the box: drop 2 and drop 3 chords- what they are, how they are constructed and how you can figure them out for yourself. He doesn't give you every chord, he gives you the information to make the chords and some ways to practice them to get them under your fingers. He starts with the major 6 chord (probably because of his connection with Barry Harris). There's really no chatter or fluff.

**bulletstrat** · 03-03-2015, 10:04 AM

thanks for all the replies, i get it now

**edh** · 03-03-2015, 09:07 PM

@Cunamara, how would you rate this? Is it only a DVD? The website doesn't state whether or not a book is included.

Thanks
edh

**David B** · 03-04-2015, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by edh

@Cunamara, how would you rate this? Is it only a DVD? The website doesn't state whether or not a book is included.

Thanks
edh

I'm not Cunamara but, to me, the DVD has been worth every penny. If you put the disc into your computer, there is a 47 page .pdf booklet you can print/save that is excellent.

**edh** · 03-05-2015, 12:43 AM

@Dave B., thanks for the info.

**Bosko** · 03-06-2015, 10:51 AM

Jazz Guitar Voicings - Vol.1: The Drop 2 Book [COLOR=#555555 !important]Spiral-bound

[COLOR=#555555 !important]– October 16, 2009[/COLOR]

[/COLOR]
by Randy Vincent [COLOR=#555555 !important](Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Guitar-Vo.../dp/1883217644

Everything that you want to know.

Three-Note Voicings and Beyond [COLOR=#555555 !important]Spiral-bound

[COLOR=#555555 !important]– January 1, 2011

[/COLOR]
by Randy Vincent [COLOR=#555555 !important](Author)

http://www.amazon.com/Three-Note-Voi...d_bxgy_b_img_y

This is excellent as well.[/COLOR]
[/COLOR][/COLOR]

**fumblefingers** · 03-08-2015, 02:09 AM

Originally Posted by bulletstrat

well a drop 2 is an open position chord right? then that means that you get a drop 2 voicing when you drop the 2nd highest note in a closed position chord. so an open position chord is already a drop 2 is that it?

no, an open position chord has other possibilities - drop 3 for one example.

**JanLF** · 03-08-2015, 06:13 AM

Hi, maybe someone answered this already but:

There are 15 different 4-note 7th's Drop2 type voicings. They have 4 inversions and they can be played on 3 string sets on a 6 str. guitar.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 03-08-2015, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by bulletstrat

well a drop 2 is an open position chord right? then that means that you get a drop 2 voicing when you drop the 2nd highest note in a closed position chord. so an open position chord is already a drop 2 is that it?

Just picked up on the confusion with the term "open". It's being used in two different ways here (open vs closed - open vs fretted). Gotta go.

**fumblefingers** · 03-08-2015, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by JanLF

Hi, maybe someone answered this already but:

There are 15 different 4-note 7th's Drop2 type voicings. They have 4 inversions and they can be played on 3 string sets on a 6 str. guitar.

15 or 12?

**Cunamara** · 03-08-2015, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by edh

@Cunamara, how would you rate this? Is it only a DVD? The website doesn't state whether or not a book is included.

Thanks
edh

Sorry for being inattentive! The DVD comes with a PDF file which contains the written material. It's decidedly a low tech video- Roni, a whiteboard and marker, and a video camera. He is very straight to the point. Something he does that I like, because it matches my learning style, is to present the concept and the principles plus some examples. He gives you the tools to work it out for yourself.

**JanLF** · 03-08-2015, 01:57 PM

15:
maj7, majb5, maj#5, 6
-7, -7(b5), -7#5, -6, -maj7
7, 7b5, 7#5, 7sus4
dim7, dimmaj7

And, yeah I know:
C6 is a 1st inv A-7
C-7 is a 3rd inv Eb6
C-7b5 is 3rd inv Eb-6
C-7#5 is really a 1st inv Abadd9
Cdimmaj7 is B/C

Peace :-)

**fumblefingers** · 03-08-2015, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by JanLF

15:
maj7, majb5, maj#5, 6
-7, -7(b5), -7#5, -6, -maj7
7, 7b5, 7#5, 7sus4
dim7, dimmaj7

And, yeah I know:
C6 is a 1st inv A-7
C-7 is a 3rd inv Eb6
C-7b5 is 3rd inv Eb-6
C-7#5 is really a 1st inv Abadd9
Cdimmaj7 is B/C

Peace :-)

ah. 15 chord qualities, 12 grips per.

roger.

**gersdal** · 03-08-2015, 03:48 PM

A very simple overview over Drop2 versions of Dominant 7th chords is shown in this figure. They are the basic 12 ways of fingering then, not all the possible alterations etc.

IMHO it is good to work out all these for Drop2 and Drop3 and practice them. Even more fun if you add 9ths, 11ths, 13ths and alterations