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Minor BLOCK chords

ADVANCED

Lesson 1: Definition and Positions

Lesson by John Proulx

• Definition: Block Chords, also known as "locked hands" or "Shearing Voicings" (named after
George Shearing, who popularized this technique), are chords that are played with two hands,
using an octave on the outer notes and 3 chord tones in the inner voices.
Usually, the left hand plays the bottom note, and the right hand plays the other 4 notes.

•Use: Block chords can be used while playing a melody, comping, or in improvisation.

Construction
ROOT OCTAVES ON THE OUTER VOICES ADD THE REST OF THE CHORD IN THE INNER VOICES
1 C6 C-7

w 3 }
b4 wwww 7r 5
& b ww R.H. R.H.
4 L.H.
L.H.

Technique
Using "C-7" ("C" Dorian) as an example, first play the chord in its 3 inversions.
Then, play the 9th, 11th, and 6th scale degrees, noticing the different chord qualities
(The 9th and 11th scale degrees are Min9 and Min11 chords, and the 6th scale degree is a Minor 6 chord)
C-7 Inversions
ROOT POSITION 1ST INVERSION 2ND INVERSION 3RD INVERSION
3
C-7 www ww
b www www
& b wwwww ww 3 ww 5 7
R
ROOT ON THE BOTTOM 3rd ON THE BOTTOM 5th ON THE BOTTOM 7th ON THE BOTTOM

© Sheet Music Copyright 2021 Y&J Music LLC © Arrangement Copyright John Proulx
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2

Notice how the 9th/11th scale degrees are Minor 9 and 11 chords,
and the 6th scale degree is a Minor 6 chord.

9th, 11th, and 6th Chords

7 C-9/D C-11/F C-6/A
b www www wwww
&b ww 9 ww 11 w 6
9th SCALE DEGREE 11th SCALE DEGREE 6th SCALE DEGREE

Alternate Minor 6th in place of Minor 7th

An alternative to playing the C-7 chord is to harmonize the scale with a C-6 chord.

ROOT POSITION 1st INVERSION 2nd INVERSION 3rd INVERSION

10 C-6
b www www wwww
& b wwww ww ww 5 w6
wr 3
ROOT ON THE BOTTOM 3rd ON THE BOTTOM 5th ON THE BOTTOM 6th ON THE BOTTOM

14 C-%/D C-11/F C-7/B¨

b w www www
& b wwww ww 11 ww 7
9
9th SCALE DEGREE 11th SCALE DEGREE 7th SCALE DEGREE

Stylization
Use Slides Into Block Chords

Use slides starting down a Minor 3rd from the targetted note
and slide up chromatically.

C-7 C-7/E¨ C-7/G C-7/B¨

e# e w˙ ™ e# e e ww
17 www
e w˙ ™ e
ww
e # en e ˙™ ‰ e# e
b wwww www
&b Ó Œ ‰ n w
‰ ‰
3 3
3 3
MIN 3rd MIN 3rd MIN 3rd MIN 3rd
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Lesson 2: Block Chord Exercise

3

*=INVERSIONS Key of C-
C-7 C-9/D C-7/E¨ C-11/F C-7/G C-6/A C-7/B¨ C-7
* *

™™ œœœ ™™
22 * *
*
œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœœ
& bb œœ
œœœ
œœ
œœœ
œœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ

Key of F-
F-7 F-9/G F-7/A¨ F-11/B¨ F-7/C F-6/D F-7/E¨ F-7
* * *
*
bb ™™ œœœœ ™™
23 *
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ
& b œ œœ

Key of Bb-
B¨-7 B¨-9/C B¨-7/D¨ B¨-11/E¨ B¨-7/F B¨-6/G B¨-7/A¨ B¨-7
* *
* *

& b bb ™™ œœœœ ™™
24 *
b œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ
œ œœ

4 PRACTICE TIPS:
1. First play the inversions of the Minor 7th chords.
2. Next, play the 9th, 11th, and 6th scale degree chords.
3. Then, play the entire scale up and down.
4. Finally, create some melodies of your own, using different scale degrees (i.e. 1324, etc.).

Lesson 3: Bossa Nova

Play in a Medium Bossa Nova
"Check, Mate!" style with the backing track
q= 100 "Check, Mate!"

™™ œœœ ™™™
25 C-9 F-9 B¨-9 C-7

œœ ™™
j j j
& bb œœœœ œœœ œœ œ
j
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ b œœ œœ œœ œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœœ
j
www
œJ œœ œœœ b œœœœ œœ b œœ œœ b œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ ww
J J œ ˙ J J

b ™
& b œœœœœ ™™™™ ™™
29 C-9 F-9 B¨-9 C-9
j j j
œœœœ œœœ œœ œ œœœœ œœ œœœœ ‰ œj ‰ n œj
œJ œœ œœœ œœœ
b œœ
œœœ œœœ
œœ b œœ
œœœ
œœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ bb œœœœ œ œœœ œ b œœœœ œœœ www
J J œ ˙ œJ ww
J
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Lesson 4: Block Chord Exercise

Key of Eb-
*=INVERSIONS
E¨-7 E¨-9/F E¨-7/G¨ E¨-11/A¨ E¨-7/B¨ E¨-6/C E¨-7/D¨ E¨-7
* *
* *

& b bbb ™™ œœœœ ™™

33 * œœ œœ œœœ œœ œœœ
b œ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœ œœ

Key of Ab-
A¨-7 A¨-9/B¨ A¨-7/C¨ A¨-11/D¨ A¨-7/E¨ A¨-6/F A¨-7/G¨ A¨-7
* *
* *

& b b bb ™™ œœœœ ™™
34 *
bb œœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ
œœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ
œ œœœ œœ

Key of Db-
D¨-7 D¨-9/E¨ D¨-7/F¨ D¨-11/G¨ D¨-7/A¨ D¨-6/B¨ D¨-7/C¨ D¨-7
* *
* *

& b bbbbb ™™ ™™
35 * œœœ œœœœ
b œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœœ
œœœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ
œ

Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 5: Swing Tune

Play in a Medium Swing
"The Position is Closed" style with the backing track
"The Position Is Closed"
q= 100

™™ œœœœœ ™™™™™
E¨-9 A¨-9 D¨-9 E¨-9
36
j j œœœj œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ j œœœj
bbbb œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ b œœ œœ b œœ œœ œ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ ‰ œœœœ ‰ www
& b œJ œJ œ J œ ˙ bb œœœœ œ œœ œ œJ nœœJ ww

b œ ™™
E¨-9 A¨-9 D¨-9 E¨-7

& b bbb œœœœ ™™™ ™™

40
jj œœœj œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ ˙˙˙˙ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœj ‰ j
œœœœ œœœœ œœœœ b œœ œœ b œœ œœ œ ˙ b œœœ www
œJ œJ œ J b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
J œœ ww
J
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Lesson 6: Block Chord Exercise

Key of F#-
*=INVERSIONS
F©-7 F©-9/G© F©-7/A F©-11/B F©-7/C© F©-6/D© F©-7/E F©-7
* *
* *

™™ ™™
44 *
#### œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ
& œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ
œœ œœ
œ
Key of B-
B-7 B-9/C© B-7/D B-11/E B-7/F© B-6/G© B-7/A B-7
* *
* *

& # ™™ œœœœ ™™
45 *
## œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ
œ œœ
Key of E-
E-7 E-9/F© E-7/G E-11/A E-7/B E-6/C© E-7/D E-7
* *
* *

& # ™™ œœ ™™
46 *
# œœ œœœ œœ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ

Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 7: Ballad Style

Play in a Ballad style
"Fill Up More" with the backing track
"Fill Up More"
q= 70

™™ Œ œ ™ œ ™
F©-7 B-9 E-7 F©-7

n œœœœ ™™™™ nnœœœœ ™™™™

47
#### œœœ œœœ nœœj j
œœœœ nœœœœ œœœœ www
& œœœ
œœ œœ œœ œœœ ˙˙˙˙
˙ œJ œ œ ww
J

œ ™ œ ™ ™™
F©-7 B-9 E-7 F©-7

n œœœœ ™™™™ nnœœœœ ™™™™

51
##
& ## Œ œœœ œœœ nœœj j
œœœ
œœ œœ œœ œœœ ˙˙˙˙
˙
œœœ œœœ
œœ n œœ œœœœ www
J J œ ww
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Lesson 8: Block Chord Exercise

Key of A-
*=INVERSIONS
A-7 A-9/B A-7/C A-11/D A-7/E A-6/F© A-7/G A-7
* *
* *

™™ œœ ™™
55 *
# œœœ œœ œœœ œœ œœœ
& œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ

Key of D-
D-7 D-9/E D-7/F D-11/G D-7/A D-6/B D-7/C D-7
* *
* *

& ™™ œœœœœ
œœ ™
™
56 * œœ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ

Key of G-
G-7 G-9/A G-7/B¨ G-11/C G-7/D G-6/E G-7/F G-7
* *
* *

& b ™™ œœœ ™™
57 *
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œ
œœ œœ

Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 9: Funk Tune

Play in a Funk style
"Minor Blockage" with the backing track
"Minor Blockage"
q= 80
D-11
™™ Œ œœœ œœ ™™™ œœ ‰ œj
58 A-11 G-11 A-7

œœ œœœ ™™ œœ n œœœ ™™™ œœ œœœ ™™™ œœ

# œœœ
n œœ ™™ œœœ n œœ ™™ œœœ
& œœ œœ œœœ Œ n œœœ b œœœ œœœ ww
œ œœ œœ ˙˙˙ œœ b œœ œœ www
J ˙˙

D-11
œœœ œœ ™™™ œœ ‰ œj ™™
62 A-11 G-11 A-9

œœ œœœ ™™ œœ œœ n œœ ™™ œ ˙ œœœ œœ ™™
#
œœœ n œœœ ™™ œœœ ˙˙˙ œœ n œœœ ™™™
& Œ œœœ Œ n œœœ b œœœ
™œ ˙
œœ œœ œœ b œœ œœ ww
œ œœ œœœ www
J