Right-Handed Drop 2 Block Chords: Shapes
(In SmartASCII notation)
Drop 2 block chords have been used by many jazz guitarists, especially Wes Montgomery, to create a thick big-band-like
melodic texture when soloing. Listen to Wes'
"West Coast Blues"!
Several different approaches to drop 2 are possible on the Stick. On this page I will discuss
the one-handed type, where the block chords are played with the right hand on the melody side
while the left hand accompanies it on the bass side. In order to use block chords fluently it
is necessary to learn shapes for every drop 2 inversion of every four-note chord type. Here are
a few of the shapes when the melody side of the Stick is tuned in straight fourths. The shapes
are shown on strings 3-6, but can be transposed across to strings 2-5 or 1-4 without
modification.
I make extensive use of the right thumb to play these shapes because I couldn't figure out
any other way. At the NAMM show in January 2005, I was priveleged to meet and jam with
Emmett Chapman and
Greg Howard, who both said they'd never seen
anyone play like that. I might actually be the first one...
Sound Examples
Major 6th Shapes
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top
Low frets
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
High frets
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┘
|
6th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
Minor 7th Shapes
( = Major 6th shapes in different order)
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
7th on top
Low frets
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
High frets
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┘
|
Minor 6th Shapes
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
6th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┘
|
Minor 7b5 Shapes
( = Minor 6th shapes in different order)
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
7th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
Plain Dominant 7th Shapes
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
|
7th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
|
Cooler 9th and 13th Shapes
Straight dominant seventh chords often sound somewhat bland in a jazz context. Here are some voicings with added tensions to spice them up a bit. When you hear Wes play dominant seventh chords, he's usually playing these and not the plain dominant sevenths above.
13 - Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
9/13 - 9th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
9 - 5th on top
Same as Minor6th, Root on top.
The chord blues guitarists love.
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
9/13 - 13th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
9 - 3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─R4─┴────┴────┘
|
7#5 Shapes
Root on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
3rd on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┴────┘
|
5th on top?
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼────┼─R4─┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
|
7th on top?
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
4├────┼────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┘
|
Diminished 7th Shape
Root, 3rd, 5th, or 7th on top
1┌────┬────┬────┬────┬────┬────┐
2├────┼────┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
3├────┼────┼─R2─┼────┼────┼────┤
4├────┼─R1─┼────┼────┼────┼────┤
5├────┼────┼────┼─R3─┼────┼────┤
6└────┴────┴─RT─┴────┴────┴────┘
|
