More on Shell Voicings

Here’s a quick video of another well-known standard, “Sunny.” Once again, the chord progression is built from a series of seventh chords — minor 7, dominant 7, and major 7 — all comfortably played using those handy little shell voicings. It’s a great tune for practising smooth, confident movement from one chord to the next.

If you sing, or know someone who does, you’ll quickly hear just how effective these voicings are for accompaniment. They provide just enough information to express the chord quality while leaving plenty of space for the vocal to sit naturally.

I didn’t film the right hand, but the only notes I pluck are those shown on the virtual fretboard. You’ll notice that I grab the bass notes on the sixth string with my thumb. I find it more comfortable that way, but you can use any fingering you like.

Let me know if you’d like me to post more of these standards.

As always, have fun and listen. Listen to how the chord tones move from one to another, listen to the bass line, and listen to the different qualities of the chords and how they make you feel. Truly listening is the best way to progress as a musician.

Below are the shapes of the three main flavours.