Introduction

Quartal voicings are built by stacking intervals of 4ths rather than the traditional 3rds used in tertian harmony. The standard quartal voicing uses 5 notes, though this can be reduced to 3-4 notes or expanded to 6 notes.

  • Ambiguity: Quartal chords are ambiguous. There is no clear tonal center, and each voicing can represent many different chords. This is very useful for improvised music, as it gives the soloist more freedom.
  • Modern: Building chords in 4ths is considered sophisticated and «modern» compared to traditional tertian harmony (although it’s been used in jazz since the late 50s, and can be found in classical music early 20th century).
  • Suspended: Due to their construction in 4ths, these voicings have a slightly suspended chord sound.

3-notes quartal voicings

All examples with actual notes (scores, keyboards) are shown in the key of C. Adapt to your actual key.

Minor 7

  • 6th → 6, 9, 5
  • 9th → 9, 5, Root
  • 5th → 5, Root, 11
  • Root → Root, 11, ♭7
  • 11th → 11, ♭7, ♭3
Nearest positions
Quartal voicings, Minor 7, Proximity order
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Minor 7, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths
Grouped as a scale (dorian)

Dominant 7

  • 3rd → 3, 13, 9
  • 6th → 13, 9, 5
  • 9th → 9, 5, Root
Nearest positions
Quartal voicings, Dominant 7, Proximity order
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Dominant 7, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths
Grouped as a pentatonic scale

Altered Dominant

  • ♭7th → ♭7, ♯9, ♭13
  • ♯9th → ♯9, ♯5, ♭9
  • ♯5th → ♯5, ♭9, ♯11
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Altered Dominant, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths
Grouped as a (tritone based) pentatonic scale

Note: chords written using flat-based alterations, which is incorrect from a music theory point of view (should be ♯9, not ♭4), but also more readable, especially because it makes it easier to compare enharmonic alterations like ♭13 and ♯5, to see the “stacking”.

Dominant 7, Suspended 4th

  • 5th → 5, Root, 4
  • Root → Root, 4, ♭7
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Suspended 4th, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths

Note: both voicings are also available for minor 7, but the 4th is written as 4th here (because it replaces the 3rd) while it’s written as 11th for the minor chord (because it’s an upper extension, on top of an (eventually) existing 3rd).

Major 7

  • ♯4th → ♯4, 7, 3
  • 7th → 7, 3, 6
  • 3rd → 3, 6, 9
  • 6th → 6, 9, 5
  • 9th → 9, 5, Root
Nearest positions
Quartal voicings, Major 7, Proximity order
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Major 7, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths
Grouped as a scale (lydian)

Minor 7♭5 (half-diminished)

  • Root → R, 11, ♭7
  • 11th → 11, ♭7, ♭3
  • ♭7th → ♭7, ♭3, ♭13
Stacking fourth
Quartal voicings, Half-diminished, Stacking order
Stacked in fourths
Grouped as a (4 minor or b6 major) pentatonic scale

Note: voicings built from the ♭3 and ♭6 are generally avoided (and thus skipped here) because they contain a ♭9 interval, which creates unwanted dissonance. They may occasionally work in some contexts, but will sound very bad in locrian ♮9 contexts. Also, be aware that by chosing it, you deny other instrumentists the choice of the 9th quality.

Artists and albums

John Coltrane (1926 – † 1967)

Coltrane on Wikipedia

A Love Supreme (1964)

Giant Steps (1960)

Ascension (1966)

McCoy Tyner (1938 – † 2020)

… todo …

Larry Young (1940 – † 1978)

Larry Young on Wikipedia

Unity (1966)

Into Somethin’ (1965)

Pharoah Sanders (1940 – † 2022)

Pharoah Sanders on Wikipedia

… todo …

Chick Corea (1941 – † 2021)

Chick Corea on Wikipedia

Woody Shaw (1944 – † 1989)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Shaw

Kenny Garrett (1960 – …)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Garrett

Wayne Shorter (1933 – † 2023)

Joe Henderson (1937 – † 2001)

  • Inner Urge (1964)
  • Mode for Joe (1966)
  • Page One (1963)

More …

… todo …

Sources and further reading