When it comes to voicing your piano chords, sometimes less is more.

When I was younger, I would be pleased with myself if I could add more and more notes to a chord.  Now that I’m a wise old 37-year-old, I usually try to see how much I can get out of using the fewest notes possible.

In the video below, I demonstrate some processes that will hopefully help you hear a chord progression differently.  I first break it down to just two notes: the root of the chord in the left hand, the third of the chord in the right.  This allows us to really hear the melodic movement created by the chords.

From there, we add in a couple more notes, but always trying to create the most open voicings – spread apart placements of the notes.  Then, once we have some different options, we can make more thoughtful decisions about what we play in the end.

Go ahead and watch the video and enjoy!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-T7FosN96o