Chord Voicing - Open & Close Voicing

The voicing of a chord depends on the separation existing among the three upper notes of a chord. Chords consisting of stacked thirds in the same octave, such as C Major consisting of C-E-G, have close voicing. Open voiced chords space the notes of the chord at greater intervals, particularly by rearranging the order of notes in a chord, as in C-G-E.

Although chord inversions and chord voicing are different concepts it is important to realise that if you are playing, for example, a second inversion of C Major on the right hand, that is G-C-E, but you are playing a low C, ie. the root, on the left hand, the result is C Major in root position with a different voicing, ie. C-G-C-E.

For open voicings only spaced row chord shapes are illustrated as they are slightly more difficult to find, and yet more comfortable to play than open voicing adjacent row chord shapes.