www.Pianowithjonny.

com

Major 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 C6

ww 3 5 }
&
4 w R.H. www 6
4 w L.H. R.H.
L.H.

Technique
Using "C6" as an example, first play the chord in all inversions.
Then, play the 9th, 11th, and 7th scale degrees, noticing the different chord qualities
(The 9th scale degree is a Maj9 chord and the 11th scale degree is a IV6 chord)

C6 Inversions
ROOT POSITION 1ST INVERSION 2ND INVERSION 3RD INVERSION
3
C6 ww www
ww
& wwwww www 3 www
5
ww 6
R
ROOT ON THE BOTTOM 3rd ON THE BOTTOM 5th ON THE BOTTOM 6th ON THE BOTTOM

© Sheet Music Copyright 2021 Y&J Music LLC © Arrangement Copyright John Proulx
 www.Pianowithjonny.com
2

Notice how the 9th, 11th, and 7th degrees are different from the C6 chords. The only chord that is
NOT a "C" chord is the F6, or IV chord. In a "C" Maj scale, the F6 acts as a passing chord.

9th, 11th, and 7th Chords

7 C^9/D F6 C^7/B
www www
& wwwww ww
11
ww 7
9
9th SCALE DEGREE 11th SCALE DEGREE 7th SCALE DEGREE

Alternate Major 7th in place of Major 6th

An alternative to playing the C6 chord is to harmonize the scale with a CMaj7 chord.

ROOT POSITION 1st INVERSION 2nd INVERSION 3rd INVERSION

10 C^7 www
www www
& wwww ww ww 5 ww 7
wr 3
ROOT ON THE BOTTOM 3rd ON THE BOTTOM 5th ON THE BOTTOM 7th ON THE BOTTOM

Stylization
Use Slides Into Block Chords

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

14 C6 C6/E C6/G C6/A

e e# e w˙ ™ e# e w
‰ #e
wwww
e# e w˙ ™
www
e# e e ‰ #e
w˙ ™
www www
& Ó Œ ‰
‰
3 3
3 3
 www.Pianowithjonny.com
3

Lesson 2: Block Chord Exercise

Key of C
*=INVERSIONS

C6 C^9/D C6/E F6 C6/G C6/A C^7/B C6

™™ œœœ ™™
19 * * * *œ œœœ *œ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœœ
& œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ

Key of F
F6 F^9/G F6/A B¨6 F6/C F6/D F^7/E F6

™
™ ™™
20 * * *
* * œœœ œœœ
b
& œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœ œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ

Key of Bb
B¨6 B¨^9/C B¨6/D E¨6 B¨6/F B¨6/G B¨^7/A B¨6
*
b ™™ œ* ™™
21 * * *
œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœ
b œœ œœ œœ œœ
& œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ

4 PRACTICE TIPS:
1. First play the inversions of the I6 chords.
2. Next, play the 9th, 11th, and 7th 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
style with the backing track
q= 100 "Blocked Call" "Blocked Call"

™™ œœœœ b œœœœ ™™™™

22 C6 F6 B¨6 C6
j j
œ ™
& œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
j
œœœ
j œœœ œœœ
j
˙˙˙ œœœ œœj j
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œœ b œœœ œœœ œœœ w
J J J J J J œœ œœ wwww
J

b œœœœ ™™™™
C6 F6 B¨6 C6
™™
26
j j œœœj œœœj
œ ™
œ œœœ j j j œœœ www
& œœœœ œœ
œœœ
œœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ
œœ œœœ ˙˙˙ œœœ
œœ œJ œœ œœ ww
J œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ J J
J J J
 www.Pianowithjonny.com
4

Lesson 4: Block Chord Exercise

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

& b b ™™ œ ™™
30 * * *
b * * œœœ œœœ
œœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœ œœ
œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ

Key of Ab
A¨6 A¨^9/B¨ A¨6/C D¨6 A¨6/E¨ A¨6/F A¨^7/G A¨6

bb ™ * ™™
* *

& b ™ œœœœ
31 * *
œœ œœœ œœ œœœ
b œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœ œœ œœ
œ

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

& b bbb ™™ œœœœœ ™™

32 * * œœœ
*
œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœ
b œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œ œœœ œœ
œœ œœ

Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 5: Swing Tune

Play in a Medium Swing
"Lock Hands in Peace" style with the backing track
"Lock Hands In Peace"
q= 100
E¨6 A¨6 D¨^7 E¨6
œœj œœœj
™™ ‰ œœœœ œœœœœ
33
j œœj œœœ œœœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœœ
b œœœœ
œ œœœ œœœ ‰ œœœœ
j ww
& bbb œJ œœœ œœ J
œœ œœœ œœœ Œ ‰ b œœJ œœ œœ œœ œJ www
J

E¨6 A¨6 D¨^7 E¨^7

œœj œœœj
™™
37
j œ œœj œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œ
b œ
& b b ‰ œœœœ œœœœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœœ
œœ Œ ‰ b œœJ œœ b œœœœ œœœ
œœ œœœ ‰ nœœj
œœ n œœœ www
J J J ww
J
 www.Pianowithjonny.com
5

Lesson 6: Block Chord Exercise

*=INVERSIONS
Key of F#
F©6 F©^9/G© F©6/A© B6 F©6/C© F©6/D© F©^7/E© F©6

™™ * ™™
41 * * *
#### # * œœ œœœ
& # œœœ œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœ œœ
Key of B
B6 B^9/C© B6/D© E6 B6/F© B6/G© B^7/A© B6
*
#### ™ ™™
*

& # ™ œœœœ
42 * * * œœœ
œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œ œœ œœ

Key of E
E6 E^9/F© E6/G© A6 E6/B E6/C© E^7/D© E6
#### ™ * ™™
™œ
43 * *
* *
œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœ
& œœœ œœœ œœ œœ
œœœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
œ
Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 7: Ballad Style

Play in a Ballad style
with the backing track
q= 70
"Shearing the Hedges" "Shearing the Hedges"

™™ œœœœ ™™™™
F©^7 B^7 E6 F©6
œœœ ™™™ ™™™
44
j j
Ϫ
#### # j
œœ ™™ ™™
& # œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙ œœœ œœœœ œœœ www
œJ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ nœœœœ œœ œ œœ ww
J œ J

œœœ ™™™ ™™
F©^7 B^7 E6 F©6
œœœ ™™™ ™™™
48

œœ ™™
## # j j j
œœ ™™ ™™
& # ## œœœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ ˙˙˙
˙˙ nœœœœ œœœ œœœœ œœœ w
œJ œœ œœ œœ
J œ œœ œ œœ wwww
J
 www.Pianowithjonny.com
6

Lesson 8: Block Chord Exercise

Key of A
*=INVERSIONS
A6 A^9/B A6/C© D6 A6/E A6/F© A^7/G© A6

™™ œœ ™™
52 * *
* * * œœœ
### œœœ œœœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœœ œœ
& œœœ œœœ œœ œœ œœœ œœ
œœ

Key of D
D6 D^9/E D6/F© G6 D6/A D6/B D^7/C© D6
* *
## ™ œ*œ ™™
*

& ™ œœœ
53 * œœœ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœ œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ

Key of G
G6 G^9/A G6/B C6 G6/D G6/E G^7/F© G6

# ™ * ™™
*

& ™ œœœ
54 * *
* œœœ œœœ
œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœ œœœœ œœ œœ
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ

Use the same practice tips as the previous exercise.

Lesson 9: Funk Tune

Play in an Funk style
with the backing track
"Block and Bowl" "Block and Bowl"
q= 80
œ œ ™
™™ œœœœ œœœœ ™™™™ ‰
A^9 D6 G6 A6
œœj œœœ ™™™ œœœœœ œœœ ™™™ œœ
55

œœ ™™ œœ ™™ œœœ
### œœœ r œœrœ
& œœœ œœœœœ œ
œœ ≈ œœœ ≈ œœ
˙˙˙
˙˙
œ
œ
nœœœ ≈ œ
r
œœœ ≈ œœ
r
œœ www
J œ œ œœœ œœœ ww
R R R R
D6

### œœœœœ œœœœœ ™™™™ ‰ œœœœ œœœ

A^9 G6 A6
œœœ ™™™ œœœœœ œœœ ™™™ œœ ™™
j
™ œ œœ
59

œœ ™™ œœ ™™ œœœ
œœœ r œœrœ r r
& œœ ≈ œœœœ ≈ œœ
˙˙˙
˙˙ nœœœœœ ≈ œœœ ≈ œœœ œœœ www
ww
J œ œœ œœ œœ
R R R R