jazz Fake book voice leading chords

[brent]

I got a Jazz Fake and Real book it shows the chords
the problem i have is connecting the chords together
for the right voice leading how do i do this?

When i play the jazz color chords i have a problem
resolving the tension notes and connecting the chords
because i have the right notes of the chords its just
doesn't sound right when playing them because they are
either not resolving or its not connecting right.

How do i practice better with a jazz fake book so i can
connect and resolve the chords better?

[gersdal]

I'm a guitarist, but I've learnt most of my chord voicing thinking from pianists, so I hope my 2c have some value also here in the key forum.
The most important rule I've been told is to minimize the movement of the top note of your voicing. If the top note is making a simple little melody (often requires some wide extentions .. like 13ths) that sounds good. Also constant top tone in the voicing throughout the chord progression sounds great, check out e.g. Jimmy Smith.
The Aebersold books has a lot of voicing examples for piano. I've been working on how to use these on guitar.

[Malcolm]

Also take into consideration in jazz comping that the part our guitars play is really not as a solo instrument. That is left up to the bass, horns and sax. Our job is rhythm and ---- sometime less is more.

Subtle ---- like Am#7 to Am7 to Bb13#11 to Bb9 to Am9 to A7 in four bars. This came from Minor Blues in the Barry Galbraith Guitar Comping instructional book --- I don't understand all there is to voicing -- I just leave it at sometime less is more......... and just do my best to follow the sheet music.

That may not have helped......

[ghandi234]

well if you are wanting to know how to resolve color tones i assume you know that seventh of the five chord always resolves to the third of the tonic (or any chord a fifth up from what chord you are getting to) so that means in the key of C the seventh or the f in the G7(dom) resolves to the third of C or the e note. this is very important to remember. voice leading is pretty much just getting the smoothest transitions as possible. it would be good practice to list out where every extension of that chord goes smoothly into the next. meaning no big jumps between notes. i suggest either get yourself a jazz teacher or pick up ted greene's modern chord progressions or chord chemistry. also for right now it is very important to hear the root as the bass note when you are playing chord progressions alone (unless its specifically made to have a descending bass in the progression.)

[gersdal]

Originally Posted by Malcolm

Also take into consideration in jazz comping that the part our guitars play is really not as a solo instrument. That is left up to the bass, horns and sax. Our job is rhythm and ---- sometime less is more.....

Malcome, you're now writing in the key's forum But I agree that the David Gailbrath is a great book for guitar comping.

[gersdal]

We discussed a little around the chord voicing in this thread. Hope this helps.
http://www.ibreathemusic.com/forums/...ighlight=voice