Unlocking the Secrets of Chord Voicing: Transform Your Keyboard Skills with These Overlooked Techniques
May 18, 2023
When I embarked on my journey to learn the keyboard, my appetite for knowledge was insatiable. However, I found myself bombarded with fragments of information from various sources—some valuable, some not so much.
Over the years, I've developed numerous habits, both good and bad. To be completely honest, there are still some persistent habits that continue to challenge me even today.
Yet, among all the struggles, there is one particular habit that plagued me for a considerable amount of time. It is an aspect often overlooked, yet it holds immense power to shape your musicality. Can you guess what it is?
Chord voicing.
Many individuals believe that simply learning to play the chords in a song is sufficient, without paying attention to the order or technique used to play the individual notes within the chords.
Allow me to share some of the advice I received regarding chord voicing and advice I diligently practiced until I discovered a different approach to playing.
"Double and stack notes to enhance your sound."
I was shown how stacking notes could produce rich and sonorous chords. Contrary to popular belief, you don't always need to play every note within a chord to achieve a fuller sound. In fact, cramming too many notes into a chord can hinder the appreciation of its harmonious qualities, resulting in undesirable dark overtones. It's crucial to consider the context and desired sound, relying on your ears to guide your choices and intentions.
"Never play the bass notes when accompanied by a bass player."
For years, I held onto this misconception. The notion was that playing the low-register bass notes on the keyboard would interfere with the bass player's role. I was advised to only use rootless voicings to "stay out of the bass player's way."
However, this way of thinking overlooks the distinct timbres of the bass guitar and piano. There are occasions where playing notes below the bass player's range can be appropriate. Additionally, certain keyboard patches may lean more towards a bass-heavy sound, necessitating consideration of the overall musical arrangement. Learning the range of bass instruments can prove beneficial. Once again, let your ears be the judge and avoid being confined by rigid do's and don'ts.
"Focus solely on the melody or the top note."
While it is undoubtedly important to give due attention to the melody, it is equally vital to consider the larger musical context in which you are playing.
Listening attentively to what you've just played, what you are currently playing, and what you are about to play enables you to select notes that logically flow within your melodies and chord progressions. As you progress in your musical craft, it becomes essential to pay attention to the notes occupying the top, middle, and bottom registers of your chords. This consideration greatly impacts your voice leading, offering the listener a sense of direction and orientation in your musical expression.
"Nobody ever emphasized the importance of dynamics."
Something that had never crossed my mind was the significance of controlling the volume of the notes I played. Dynamics were foreign to me; I had only two levels—loud, for what I called "shout music," and soft, for what I deemed "talk music."
Dynamics encompass a range of softness and loudness, presenting a spectrum rather than a binary choice. By playing notes softly, loudly, or anywhere in between, you can alter the timbre of the music, subsequently affecting the tonal color of your chords and influencing the listener's perception. You possess the power to align your playing dynamics with the intended emotions of a church service or event, allowing what you play to support and enhance the overall experience.
Action step: Today, revisit a song you've played countless times, but this time, approach it with the insights you just read. Aim to adopt this mindset every time you play.