Play Piano - How to Play Shell Voicings
Copyright 2005 RAW Productions
Shell voicings are simple but functional.
They make use of the root and either the third of the seventh
any chord. Sometimes referred to as "shell" voicings, these are
commonly used as left-hand accompaniment in the piano stylings
of Bud Powell, Horace Silver, Sonny Clark, and others who play
primarily in the "be-bop" idiom.
With only two notes, they are harmonically incomplete; however,
they do convey enough information to supplement many right hand
melodies or improvised lines, especially those in the be-bop
style where melodies are crafted to clearly outline the harmony.
Most Jazz pianists play these kind of voicings in a relatively
sparse and percussive manner on medium or up-tempo tunes.
Shell voicings are most effective when the top note (played by
the thumb) falls between D below middle C and the D next to
middle C. These voicings are particularly useful in support an
improvised line played in the middle range of the keyboard,
which is stylistically typical of be-bop playing. If your melody
or improvisation should dip lower and conflict with a voicing,
here are some options:
1. Break the voice leading and pick the other inversion (e.g.
Root- 3rd instead of Root-7th) which falls in a lower register;
2. For that moment play only the root, a Root-5th, or nothing at
all in the left hand; or
3. Play the entire melody up an octave.
When you apply shell voicings to tunes, it is OK to break voice
leading occasionally in order to select the inversion which best
complements a given melody note (i.e. does not double it.) Since
the voicings are likely to be somewhat rhythmically detached
from each other, voice leading with shell voicings is not as
critical as with other voicings. Nonetheless, it is still always
best to avoid breaking voice leading within ii-V and ii-V-I
progressions.
Always remember that any Root-3rd structure may be expanded into
a Root-10th which sounds fuller.
Whether or not you are able to use a tenth in place of a 3rd
depends upon the size of your left hand and spatial distance the
10th covers on the keyboard.
Physically, minor 10ths are easier to reach than major 10ths. In
a ii-V progression, it is more natural to close in from a
Root-10th voicing to a Root-7th, rather than expanding from a
Root-7th to a Root-10th.
You just have to experiment to decide which tenth intervals fit
your hands. But always STOP IMMEDIATELY if you experience any
hint of pain in stretching a tenth or, for that matter, while
playing anything on the piano.