It's nice that shell chords are so easy to play. But the following advantages are even more pleasing: Shell chords offer great flexibility in connecting one chord to another. And you don't get in the way of other band members, because the optional notes of the usual four- and five-part jazz voicings could clash with the melodies of soloists or with the optional notes of accompanying pianists or second guitarists. Shell chords sound clear and distinct and they offer the other players complete freedom. They can also easily be expanded to four or five voices, should the need arise. In this course, we'll play shell chords using three notes throughout, and you'll learn how beautiful this sounds, because we are focussing on the essential notes of the chords.
Level
Basic
Lessons
6 Lessons | min
Lesson 1Introduction
Duration: min
Let me introduce you to the topics covered in the course "Shell Chords".
Lesson 2The 5 chord types with the root on the E string as a shell chord
Duration: min
Here we'll play three-note shell chords. They include the root on the E string, the third on the G string, and the seventh on the D string. In the "Basic Chords" lesson you already learned about the five chord types: major with a major seventh Cmaj7 (C E G B), major with a dominant seventh C7 (C E G Bb), minor with a flat seventh Cm7 (C Eb G Bb), minor with a flat seventh and a diminished fifth, also called half-diminished, Cm7b5 or C∅ (C Eb Gb Bb) and the diminished chord Co, which consists of the root note C, the minor third Eb, the flat fifth Gb and a diminished seventh (Bbb = major sixth) A. Shell chords ignore the half-diminished chord because, by design, they don't have a fifth or flat fifth.
Lesson 3The 5 chord types with the root on the A string as a shell chord
Duration: min
Here we'll play three-part shell chords. They include the root on the A string (here F on the 8th fret as an example), the third on the D string, and the seventh on the G string. Here, too, the minor 7th chord is identical to the half-diminished chord, because the fifth intentionally is missing in shell chords.
Lesson 4Blues in Bb
Duration: min
Here I'll show you how to accompany a blues in Bb using shell chords.
Lesson 5II-V-I in all 12 keys with shell chords
Duration: min
Mastering II-V-I progressions in all keys opens up the world of Jazz standards. And with shell chords, this is easy peasy!
Lesson 6All The Things You Are - Accompaniment with shell chords
Duration: min
"All The Things You Are" has become the most frequently played Jazz standard. Here you'll find all chord types in many keys in a single song. Benefit from the method of accompanying this piece using shell chords!
