Three-note Voicings and Beyond

by Randy Vincent


Randy Vincent is an extraordinary musician. With this book, he gives a clear way to illuminate harmonies in the most sensible and transparent way.”
— Pat Metheny


A complete guide to three-note jazz guitar voicings and related topics for everyone from intermediate newcomers to jazz guitar up to very advanced players. The book develops a unique “dynamic” concept of harmony where three independently moving lines team up to create beautiful harmonies that are valuable for comping, chord melodies and chordal jazz improvisations.

Topics Covered Include:

  • Three-note “shell” voicings and special derived comp voicings
  • Compete triad review including all close and open inversions on all strings
  • A section on developing “walking” guitar voicings, harmonized bass lines perfect for accompaniment in situations where no bass or keyboard is present
  • Sections on triad applications such as “slash” chords, Upper Structures, hexatonic triad-pairs and special “hybrid” voicings
  • Quartal and Secundal voicings perfect for modal comping and soloing
  • Drop-2 reductions perfect for melody harmonizations
  • Envious of pianists using lush “Shearing” style block chords? Here's a complete method to develop a realistic simulation on guitar.
  • Plus much more! Hundreds and hundreds of examples in both music notation and guitar grids.
  • Spiral-bound, 200 pages!

Endorsements

Randy Vincent is an extraordinary musician who also happens to play the guitar. With this book, he gives a real life approach to voicing chords on the instrument that will allow both the student and the professional a clear way to illuminate harmonies in the most sensible and transparent way. With almost every student I have had I have stressed the issue of getting the most mileage out of the least notes whenever possible. This book lays it out in clear and concise terms.”
— Pat Metheny

What a great book! Randy Vincent has given us a huge amount of material we guitar players can use when we're listening and reacting to what's going on around us. This is so practical — and so rare! Thanks, Randy!”
— Jim Hall

This book is full of essential information for jazz guitarists at any level. It's beautifully put together. Very logical and easy to understand. A wonderful book.”
— Mike Stern

I can't imagine a more thorough, organized approach to three-note voicings. This book will be an invaluable asset to any serious student of jazz guitar.”
— Ben Monder

Looks like another winner....I look forward to using this with my students....Congrats.”
— Vic Juris

An absolutely necessary book for the aspiring jazz guitarist.”
— Mark Levine

One of the most difficult but gratifying aspects of guitar performance is to be able to go beyond single line playing and involve melodic and harmonic improvising, simultaneously. These studies open the door, and are a foundation for this total kind of creativity.”
— Gene Bertoncini

This book is amazing. It shines a light on the incredible potential of 3-note voicings, and their ability to imply the most colorful and vivid harmonic landscapes. Randy illuminates the path of discovery in the most natural and eloquent way, guiding you into how to practice and implement these concepts in real life musical scenarios. I consider the topics explored in this book to be the foundation of how I like to look at harmony on the guitar. From triad pairs to the way he discusses harmonizing melodies, I feel Randy offers the finest and most comprehensive course for the modern guitarist. Thank you Randy!”
— Julian Lage

Randy Vincent is a seasoned jazz guitarist based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he balances performing and teaching. He has collaborated with a wide array of musicians, from Joe Henderson to Dizzy Gillespie, and performed at major jazz festivals like Monterey and San Francisco Jazz Festivals. Vincent has been teaching jazz guitar at Sonoma State University since 1981 and also instructs at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Notable among his students are Julian Lage, who has toured with the Gary Burton Quartet, and Dave McNab, who has appeared on national television shows. Randy has also conducted clinics across the U.S. and taught internationally.