How to Play Rootless Jazz Guitar Chords

When most people begin tolearn jazz chords on the guitar, they often dig into large, 4, 5 and even 6-note
shapes as they try and get all of theextensionsthey possibly can into their voicings.

But, when you start to analyze the chord shapes that the great players used over the years, many of them
preferred to comp with smaller,rootless jazz guitarchords, 3-note chords, andin the case of Lenny
Breau, 2-note chords.

There are many ways to comp using rootless jazz guitar chordson the guitar, and one of the most
popular is to use triads.

Now, I know what youre thinking, Triads, but those arerock chords?

Yes, triads and often considered vanillachords in jazz, but they are also powerful tools that can greatly
expand your jazz guitar chord vocabulary without requiring you to learn a bunch of new shapes, and large
stretches, on the guitar.

While most of us have checked out tonic triads, R-3-5, at some pointin our practicing, more often than
not we have yet to explore other variations of these three-note powerhouses within the context of a larger
chord.

In this lesson were going to learn how to apply triads that start on the 3rd of each chord to ourii-V-I
comping, in both major and minor keys, producing rootless jazz guitar chords that sound great and are
easy to play.

Dont let their simple reputation fool you, using triads to produce rootless jazz guitarchords in your
compingnot only makes things easier on your hands, but it also helps you sound the chords that are
going by, while at the same time getting out of the bass players way, and leaving room for the soloist to
work within your harmonic timber.

Do you have a question or comment about this lesson? Visit the3 to 7 thread in the MWG Forum.

Rootless Jazz Guitar Chords Major Keys

To build our first set of rootless jazz guitar chords, lets break down each3 to 7 triadfor the chords in a ii-
V-I-VI chord progression, in this case in the key of C Major.

First, well spell each 4-note arpeggio:



Dm7: D F A C

G7: G B D F

Cmaj7: C E G B

A7: A C# E G

Now, well isolate the 3rd, 5th and 7th note to build our 3 to 7 triads that we will use below to comp
through thischord progressionusing rootless jazz guitar chord shapes:

Dm7: F A C (F Major Triad)

G7: B D F (B Diminished Triad)

Cmaj7: E G B (E Minor Triad)

A7: C# E G (C# Diminished Triad)

As you can see, if you know three of the four basic triad shapes,Major, Diminished and Minor, you can
already comp using this concept, giving you the cool, rootless jazz guitar chord sound of players such as
Ed Bickert, Jim Hall and Lenny Breau.

In the examples below, I have used an extension of theB Diminished triad(starting on F, F Ab B) adding
in the b9 of the G7 chord (Ab) for an extra dose of voice leading with that rootless jazz guitar chord.

Notice how the A on Dm7 flows downward to the Ab in G7 and then resolves to the G in Cmaj7, and
similarly in theMinor keyrootless jazz guitar chords examples below.

Feel free to use either orDiminished triadin your comping, B Diminished or F Diminished, or both to add
more voice leading options to your accompaniment.

If you are unfamiliar with these triads, and how they arefingered on the guitar, you might want to check
out my chord charts forMajor Triads,Minor TriadsandDiminished Triadson guitar.

With our minds wrapped around the concept behind the major version of 3 to 7 rootless jazz guitar chords,
its time todig inand learn them on the guitar.

Below are all of the possible inversions of 3 to 7 triads through a ii-V-I-VI in C Major. I have skipped the
lowest three stringssince those tend to sound very muddy and are rarely used, but if you are into
learning them feel free to practice them on that string set as well.

Rootless Jazz Guitar Chords: Major ii V I VI

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Rootless Jazz Guitar Chords Minor Keys

Now, lets break down each 3 to 7 triad rootless jazz guitar chords for the chords in aii-V-i chord
progression, in this case in the key of C Minor.

First, well spell each 4-note arpeggio:

Dm7b5: D F Ab C

G7alt: G B D F

Cm7: C Eb G Bb

Now, well isolate the 3rd, 5th and 7th note to build our 3 to 7 rootlessjazz guitar chordsthat we will use
below to comp through this chord progression:

Dm7b5: F Ab C (F Minor Triad)

G7alt: B D F (B Diminished Triad)

Cm7: Eb G Bb (Eb Major Triad)

With our minds wrapped around the concept behind the minor version of3 to 7 triad rootlessjazz guitar
chords, its time to dig in and learn them on the guitar.

Below are all of the possible inversions of 3 to 7 triads through aii-V-i in C Minor. As was the case with
the major version of this chord progression, I have skipped the lowest three strings.

Rootless Jazz Guitar Chords: ii-V-i Minor

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