What are 4-2-6 Voicings?

Traditional 7th chord voicings are built on thirds, and the resulting intervallic structure propels functional harmony forward. Modal intervallic voicings are different. They are built on other intervallic structures, resulting in a sound that is more ambiguous and provides an effective way to add color to more static or modal harmonic backdrop. In the case of what we are calling 4-2-6 voicings that intervallic structure constists of a fourth, a second, and a sixth within the key.

1. Related Modes

   After you select a parent major (Ionian) key from the dropdown, the Related Modes display provides a helpful reference of all the related modal harmonic scenarios where these voicings might be applied.

   It is good to understand the quality of each individual voicing on its own, but it can be even more helpful to think of each key as a family of shapes, built on a single intervallic structure - in this case: lowest note, then up a fourth, then up a second, then up a sixth - moving through a parent key.

2. For Example

   Imagine you are comping on a D Dorian vamp. You might play an F(add#4) voicing, spelled F, B, C, A. In this scenario, it can be more helpful to simply hear it as the colors b3, 6, b7, and 5 against the modal backdrop of D Dorian.

3. Practice Ideas

   • Choose a key, then use the Next Voicing button to practice all the 4-2-6 voicings in that key. Make it more fun by finding a YouTube backing track for one of the Related Modes.
   • Identify any of the voicing shapes that are giving you trouble. Try isolating that one shape and practicing it in all 12 keys around the circle of 4ths.
   • As you may have noticed, the voicings we have covered so far have all been played based on diatonic modes. Challenge yourself to alter these intervallic voicings to fit into other scales - for example, the Melodic Minor scale.