The A & B Forms of voicing

Alberto Betancourt (albetan)

John Mehegan in JAZZ IMPROVISATION, (1965) shows a practical and useful way to perform chords in left hand, that he calls the A and B Forms of voicings. ? This is the most frequent style in contemporary jazz piano.

The A form of voicing:

IIm7 chord begins with third as lower note, followed by 5th, 7th and 9th. V7 chord begins with 7th, followed by 9th, 3rd , and 5th. I chord begins with third as lower note, followed by 5th, 6th and 9th.
2

?
II

D m7 9 G 7 13 3 7 9 5 7 3
V

w ww w
I

9 6 5 3

bb bbb
II

E b m7 A b 7

w ww w
I

Db

A n n ## nnn
II

E m7

w ww w
I

nn b bb nnbb w ww w
I

F m7

w
b

bbbbb w ww w
I

F # m7

w
E

nnnnn## w ww w
I

G m7

w
F

B 7 8 ? bb b
II V

Eb

B 7 nn### # n
II V

7 C nnnnb
II V

? b bb

## nnn # #

nnnn b

The A form is used in keys from C to F. But you may play also other chords in this A form if it sounds good to you.

The B Form of voicing:

IIm7 chord begins with 7th as lower note, followed by 9th, 3rd and 5th. V7 chord begins with 3rd as lower note, followed by 13th, 7th and 9th. I chord begins with 6th as lower note, followed by 9th, 3rd and 5th.

#### # # #### # #

15

? # # # # # # ? #### # #

G # m7 C # 7 9 5 7 3 13 9 3 7

5 w ww 3 n n n # w9 n n 6 I

F#

A m7 D 7

II

w ww w
I

nbb b b
II V

B b m7 E b 7

w ww w
I

Ab

A & B Forms

nnn### n n n### nn

II

E7 A

w w ww w
I

nnnnn# F7 n b nn b
II V

w w ww w
I

nbb b b
Bb

w wB w w w
V I

21

# ? ##
II

B m7

C m7

## nn## #

C # m7 F # 7

II

? ###

nnn b b

n### # # n

nnnn

The B form is used from F# to B. You may play other chords in this B form if it sounds good to you. The reason why we use A/B form voicing is that we may play all chords in a little zone of keyboard from E2 to A3:

? 29 ? ?
C in B Form F in B Form B in a Form

b
II

#### n #
II

II

## n # ##

Practice also C and F in B form, and B in A form.

A & B Forms 3

Jazz players are very familiar with these forms and they refer to it as A/B voicings. This is one of more used styles in contemporary jazz. Practice these A/B forms until mastering it. I think Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was first using these chord forms. Duke Ellington introduced these vocings in sax sections. Horace Silver in fifties used this style of voicings in piano accompaniment. From sixties, this is a very common style in contemporary jazz, thanks to promotion made by John Mehegan in JAZZ IMPROVISATION. EXERCISE: Play all chords in all qualities in A/B form voicings:
m7 D b D b7 C # m7 C #m7b5 C # dim bC C m7b5 b bC dim b b n 36 b b n # b b n n # # # ? bbb nnn#

nnnn nnnn

n n

C7

nn## nn##

?
D
42

D7

bbbbb
D dim Eb

# nnnnn## #
E b7 E b m7

E bm7b5

E b dim

n n n b n b n b b b b ? ## nb b ? ## nnbbb

D m7 D m7b5

b n n # ## nn# ## nnn # #

A & B Forms
m7 m7 E F b F7 F Fbm7b5 bFdim n 7 E E m7b5 E dim bb b n # # n n b b n n n ? ## n b

48

#### # n # #### # n # nbb b b nbb b b nnn b b

? ####
54

F# F #7

nnnnb
#

? # # # # # # ? #### # #
Ab

m7 dim G G7 G m7 G m7b5 G dim Fn F nm7b5n Fb n n n n n n # n n b b b b n n

A b7

# m7 #

nnnnn#
# dim

m7

dim

G G m7b5 G A A A A m7b5 A n b n b 60 n n ? b b b n n # # # # n n # # # n n nn # bb n

# # ? bb b nnnbb nnnn## ## nn## b b m7 b b dim m7 dim Bb B b7 B B7 bB B m7b5b bB b nB B n nB n m7b5 66 ? b b b b n n # # # # n n # ? b b nn#####

Practice these 60 chords until you get an automatic performance.

A & B Forms 5

Altered Seventh chord: C7alt

When you find an altered seventh chord, play root in bass and tritone substitute in chord. See "Substitute Chords" at Albetan's Area. Tritone substitute corresponds to a seventh chord over its flat fifth.

nnnnn nnnnn

74

? ? .

C7

C 7alt b b b b

Gb b 7 bbb

G b7alt

b.

b.

So C7alt is Gb7 with bass C. Gb7alt is C7 with bass Gb. Please see file "Altered seventh chords" at Albetan's Area.

C Forms of voicing:
Mehegan calls so this altered seventh form of voicing. Play some of your favourite tunes with this style of accompaniment. You may play chord voicings omitting bass in a "rootless" way. Or you may play bass and skip to chord. Play accompaniment of a standard with left in bass and right in chords. Good luck and enjoy A & B Forms of voicing.