Quartal Voicings

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These voicings are formed by stacking intervals of a fourth. The scale corresponding to the chord is used to generate the voicings. A quartal voicing can be constructed on any note of the scale by stacking fourths diatonically. For example, C7 implies the C mixolydian mode:

[EXAMPLE]

Quartal voicings for C7 can be constructed on any note of this scale by stacking fourths from the scale:

[EXAMPLE]

Note that some of the intervals in the chord will be perfect fourths, and others augmented fourths:

[EXAMPLE]

If quartal voicings are used over an altered chord, then the corresponding scale is used to generate the potential voicings. For example, in a Dmaj7#11 chord, the D lydian mode would be used:

[EXAMPLE]

You may construct quartal voicings as large as you like, but three notes is as much as most keyboard players are capable of playing in one hand. Three note quartal voicings are often used as left hand voicings while playing melodic lines in the right hand:

[EXAMPLE]

Larger quartal voicings may be used when accompanying other soloists or as punctuation during one's own solo:

[EXAMPLE]

Depending on which note is chosen to start with, a quartal voicing may or may not contain a root, third, or seventh. Therefore, a single quartal voicing in isolation may not adequately imply the harmony. For example, the following quartal voicing for C7 comes from C mixolydian, but does little to convey that sound:

[EXAMPLE]

Note this same quartal voicing exists in C major, G major, E dorian, A mixolydian, and other scales besides:

[EXAMPLE]

Quartal voicings therefore are often used in combination, with an accompanist playing several different voicings from the same scale over a given chord, often in parallel motion, in order to provide more of the flavor of the particular scale that is intended:

[EXAMPLE]

Because this usage still conveys the sound of the entire scale as opposed to any particular chord generated by that scale, quartal voicings are especially appropriate for modal music. This style of playing was made popular by musicians like McCoy Tyner during the first half of the 1960's.

Note that the fourth degree of a scale is a fourth above the root and a fourth below the seventh. Voicings that contain the root or seventh of the chord therefore are likely to contain the fourth as well. This is an avoid note over major or dominant seventh chords:

[EXAMPLE]

Therefore, quartal voicings are more often used with minor chords or sus chords, as there are no avoid notes in the corresponding scales:

[EXAMPLE]

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Quartal Voicings