Music Theory - Drop Voicings

In this Episode of Everything Music we explore Drop Voicings. What are they, how do you build them and how to use them.
C Major 7

4 Way Close C (4) E (3) G (2) B (1) Low --- High
Drop 2 G (2) C (4) E (3) B (1)
Drop 3 E (3) C (4) G (2) B (1)
Drop 2&3 E (3) G (2) C (4) B (1)
Drop 2&4 C (4) G (2) E (3) B (1)

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Twitter - @rickbeato

[jebahlmusic]

I'm studying jazz theory at University and Rick Beato you have saved my life. Getting so much value out of your videos! Thankyou

[LukeDayInTheUK]

3:00 "and it sounds like this"

[HugoHenriques]

I was late for theory class when the teacher explained this, when I came in he was erasing the board, I thought "Rick will have a video on this"... THANK YOU!

[Leperkahn]

This is so pretty. It really makes Cmaj7 come alive!

[ChristopherLightfoot-zukb]

Mr Beato, You are the main man. I cannot tell you enough how much I’ve enjoyed your very informative and entertaining videos. Please keep up the good work my friend. Many moons ago (1997) when I was studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Zurich 🇨🇭 my Guitar tutor Stephen Magnusson (Melbourne 🇦🇺) advised me on buying the book The Advancing Guitarist from Mick Goodrick. What took me days and weeks to study, learn and utilize back then, can now been explained in a 20 minute video from people like you. I have been now a professional Guitar tutor since 20 years but I continue to learn and be inspired from the likes of yourself.

[waynevicknair]

i was really hoping you'd show the drop voicings on guitar as well. that mapping from piano keyboard to guitar fretboard is very valuable to me.

[dexgor]

Fantastic lesson. I've been studying and playing jazz for 26 years and I have has many teachers along the way. You are the first who has explained this to me in a very simple and clear way without any feeling of "mystery" behind it. Straight and to the point with no fluff. Thanks so much. I am a new subscriber for sure.

[PIANOSTYLE]

Rick this is the clearest video on drop voicings I've seen. A picture is worth a thousand words. The best. I have to do some honey dos and I woodwork. I have a lot of projects. Also I'm using Duo to limprove my Spanish. So yeah with repairing the cars etc. I still plan to watch this again today.

[Gnurklesquimp]

I've been using separated voicings a lot, often 2 notes down low 2 up high, maybe broken up rhythmically. Cool thing is you can keep dissonances of the scale played in mind and adapt the chord to whatever you wanna play with it, it gives you so much melodic freedom. You can hold any note without it getting too nasty, you can use semitone cluster scales easily if you strip the chords down cleverly, and it simply gives you some room in the ~octave the melody is focused on.

[MrSF]

This is definitely the clearest video I've seen regarding drop voicings. I was getting confused about drop-2 inversions and seeing these chord charts showing examples of drop-2s and thinking, "How is that an inversion of the drop-2 voicing from before?" Realizing now, if I'm not mistaken, that you drop from the closed voicing and the closed voicing's inversions to get inversions of the drop chords.

So, drop-2 of root position:
1 3 5 7 would be
5 1 3 7.
Drop-2 of the 1st inversion:
3 5 7 1 would be
7 3 5 1
Drop-2 of 2nd inversion:
5 7 1 3 would be
1 5 7 3
And drop-2 of 3rd inversion:
7 1 3 5 would be
3 7 1 5.

I thought previously drop-2 inversion would simply be inversions of the original drop-2 from root position.
So, 1 3 5 7 drop-2 would be
5 1 3 7. And the inversion of that would be 1 3 7 5, 3 7 5 1, & 7 5 1 3.

Now, if I missed something or am way off on my "epiphany", someone please correct me. Lol

[nelsonsarda]

Hi Rick! I'm a drummer, music producer and engineer here in Caracas, Venezuela. First, I want to express how much I enjoy your videos, I think they are great and you explain all your subjects very well. I hadn't seen this particular one and I think it is great too but I have to point, even though it may be a little out of time, that the example on a melody using drop 2 & 4 was played incorrectly because you kept the 4th voice in your right thumb and forgot to play the 3rd voice. Anyways, mi intention is only to make a constructive remark so your videos are even better. Have a great time!!

[kaieckhardt]

Hi Rick, I really enjoy your videos. A lot of what I learned at Berklee kind of went over my head and checking out your videos clarifies a lot of the things I learned but didn't completely digest ! Thank you so much and much love to you and the family

[ricardomateol]

Hi Rick very clear explanation, thank you, but in 6´27" you did it wrong, you maintained the original 4 voice playing insted the 3 voice when you did the drop 2+4, if I can figure it is just because your explanation about how it works has been amazing great. Thanks a lot

[frimpit]

The thing that REALLY confuses people in understanding this is the REVERSE numbering order inherent in identifying the voices within the drop voicings explanation. Now, Rick touched on this a bit at 00:46 ("don't be confused by the numbers here") but it really needs to be repeated on EVERY example that we are counting from the top in stead from the bottom, and bottom is how most musicians are taught to count voices. At 2:20 the explanation confuses again, as he says ..."you take the second note of the chord, the G, and drop it down an octave." The beginner is already lost again, counting from the bottom and getting to E and wondering why Rick is moving G around instead of E. If Rick had again emphasized the important point and said "You take the second note from the TOP and drop it down an octave" it will help keep the beginner from getting confused. "From the top" needs to be said for EVERY example or people get lost. Not bashing Rick here, but just something I see done in nearly every explanation I've ever seen of drop voicings. Otherwise, as always, great material and lesson from Rick.

[eiiiotrodger]

2:55
My god that is simply beautiful sound.

[remley]

Thanks for this lesson. I can't find anyone else on YouTube who can concisely explain the concept.

[merttalay]

Jens larsen and your channel is amazing for learning jazz harmony

[edzielinski]

Excellent explanation of drop voicings and demonstrations of them on the piano. Thanks Rick!

[jamessaldana]

Professor Beato each of your videos is so eye opening and simple in your presentations but yet are so rich in content and information that I can't believe someone with your level of education and expertise with a no nonsense approach is even sharing this on the Internet with us...Thank you and May God bless you & your loved ones this New Year for all your hard work..

[Feelgoodtwin]

Great lesson. I can just say that you have the best lessons that are not just only theroy lessons so every lesson can instantly start to practicaly be used in composing, playing ect.