The good news is that the chord voicings used in rock and pop are basically interchangeable. Both styles pull from the same sources, so you can try applying the musical examples found here to both pop and rock contexts. Most chord voicings in pop and rock are based on triads or inverted triads. Sometimes major sixths, major or minor sevenths, and suspensions are added. Augmented and diminished chords are also used sparingly. If you've forgotten any of these chords, go back and review Chapters 6 and 7.

If you add a lot of harmonic extensions to your music, you will move quickly into the realm of jazz, which may or may not fit with the type of rock/pop you're playing. The music of Steely Dan is the perfect example of pop meets jazz. In their heyday, this group used copious amounts of jazz chords, yet still maintained a pop profile with many radio hits to their credit.

Other pop and rock artists have used intricate chords, too. Notables include Paul Simon, Sting, Simply Red, and, on occasion, Prince. Pianists Stevie Wonder, Joe Jackson, and Bruce Hornsby also regularly use jazzier voicings. Furthermore, earlier progressive rock bands Yes, ELP (Emerson, Lake, and Palmer), and Genesis used greater harmonic complexities, though these were based more on classicism than jazz (see Chapter 14).

Despite the influence of jazz and classical, most rock and pop shies away from harmonic intricacies; some songs may only contain a few basic chords.

The following figure uses staggered chord tones, which is commonplace in both rock and pop. FIGURE 12-1 shows you a triad broken up between the root and the third/fifth scale degrees of the chord.

FIGURE 12-1: Staggered Triad

Now add roots in the bass (left hand) and harmonic movement. FIGURE 12-2 shows you a C major triad moving to a IV chord or F major triad. Notice that the voicing on the F chord is in second position and the note C remains constant on the upbeats.

Voicing really comes down to two rules of thumb:

• When traveling from chord to chord, choose the least amount of intervallic movement between them.

• Maintain as many common tones as you can. In other words, if you are moving between two chords and both chords contain the note C, try playing the same C for each chord; don't shift octaves.

FIGURE 12-2: Staggered Triads Using Both Hands

This is best illustrated through example. FIGURE 12-3 shows the cadence V-IV-I. The chords here are voiced in root position. Because these chords are all in root position, the intervallic leap between the IV and I chords is large. This leap should be avoided.

FIGURE 12-3: V-IV-I in Root Position

The intervallic leap between the IV and I chords in FIGURE 12-3 can be avoided by playing an inverted I chord in first position. In FIGURE 12-4, you will see how to voice this cadence. Notice how the common tone (C) is maintained on the IV and I chords.

FIGURE 12-4: V-IV-I Using Voice Leading

When you use proper voice leading, your music will sound smoother. Voice leading also helps you avoid tricky fingerings, and you won't flub as many notes. In general, thoughtful voice leading will make your playing cleaner, smoother, and more articulate.