Chapter 12:
Shell voicings

Lightweight seventh chords with just three notes.

In this chapter:

About shell voicings
Shell chord grips
- 6th string root
- 5th string root
Shell chord progressions
More on shell voicings

About shell voicings

Shell voicings are partial chord shapes which include only the essential notes required to evoke the sound of the desired chord.

In the case of the seventh chord shell voicings in this chapter, the essential notes are the root, third, and seventh chord factors.

The perfect fifth can be left out of most chords without being missed. One reason is that almost all chords contain a perfect fifth, so having one doesn’t distinguish one chord from another.

Another reason the perfect fifth can be omitted is that it’s already resonating as the dominant overtone of the root’s fundamental pitch. This makes our brains hear a “phantom” fifth even when it’s not actually being played.

The shell voicings given in this chapter are particularly useful. They are easy to play, they sound great together with naturally smooth voice leading, and they are used as the basis for many extended and altered chords later on.

Shell chord grips

Grips are given for major seventh, minor seventh, and dominant chords, which are enough to cover all the diatonic chords of Western harmony. Min7 shell voicings can be played instead of m7b5, since it omits the fifth.

Major seventh chords can sound a bit harsh at times, especially as the I chord (which should typically feel like a place of rest). Major sixth shell voicings can substitute for major 7 chords as a more relaxed alternative. See Chapter 13. Color chords for more about substituting chords in this way.

6th string root

Minor 7 shell voicing with 6th string root.

Major 6 shell voicing with 6th string root.

5th string root

Minor 7 shell voicing with 5th string root.

Major 6 shell voicing with 5th string root.

Shell chord progressions

ii-V-I cadences

In jazz, these shell voicings are commonly used for “comping” (playing chords in “accompaniment”), commonly in the ii-V-I cadential progression. See Chapter 6. Introduction to Western harmony for more information about ii-V-I cadences.

6th string tonic

I major 7 shell voicing for 6th string tonic.

I major 6 shell voicing for 6th string tonic.

5th string tonic

I major 7 shell voicing for 5th string tonic.

I major 6 shell voicing for 5th string tonic.

Diatonic progressions

IV major seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

vii minor seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

iii minor seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

vi minor seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

ii minor seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

V dominant seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

I major seven shell voicing in diatonic progression.

Back cycling

Back cycling refers to a progression of dominant seventh chords in a sequence of descending fifths, until they finally resolve to a tonic I, like III7-VI7-II7-V7-I.

All the dominant chords except the V use notes from outside the key. They are called “secondary dominants”, which “want” to resolve to the chord a fifth below according to euroclassical harmony.

This long chain of descending fifths creates increasing tension as it propels toward the final V-I cadence.

The shell voicings in this chapter are well suited to back cycling.