In music and art the complexity is generally synonym of ugliness, unnatural, difficulty of understanding. How to use jazz piano chords and voicings Therefore you should never miss these two notes in the chord, except if, for example, you need to play a sus4 chord: in this case the third is omitted leaving the place to the fourth note. Remember the most important notes of a chord are the third one and the seventh one that determine the mode (major or minor) and the type of chord. Certainly there are also other chords besides minor seventh, dominant seventh or major seventh: in another pages I will treat about the half diminished, diminished and altered seventh chord voicings (with augmented fifth and ninth or minor ninth). Study all these progressions of II-V-I in major key and practice to play them on famous jazz standards.

Second position (voicings) in jazz piano chords Instead, if it is too much above the central C the right hand can be disturbed. Keep in mind the chord of the left hand must be played as near as around the central C(C4) and it has to contain the central C inside (in virtual way, if the C does not belong to the chord), to avoid cacophony. The first position or the second is used according to the necessity. You could also play the fundamental with the left and the chord with the right hand to learn to harmonize the melody or to accompany a singer or another musician.Therefore you have to play the four notes around the central C (C4) with the left hand.You note the fundamental one among parenthesis and you must not play it when you improvise.

Chords charts jazz piano