Stage 5 of 7

Quartal & So What Voicings

McCoy Tyner Modal Sound

Quartal voicings are built from stacked perfect 4ths instead of 3rds. They produce an open, ambiguous sound that defined the modal jazz era — McCoy Tyner with John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock with Miles Davis. The famous "So What" chord (Bill Evans) is a quartal voicing with a 3rd on top.

These voicings work best over modal tunes and minor chords, where the lack of a clear 3rd/7th lets the music float. They are the antidote to the functional ii-V-I sound.

Prerequisites

Solid rootless voicings and drop 2. Understanding of modal vs functional harmony.

Voicing Styles in This Stage

Quartal So What

How to Practice

1.Stack 4ths on each note of D Dorian mode: D-G-C-F, E-A-D-G, F-Bb-Eb-Ab...
2.Play the "So What" voicing (E-A-D-G-B) and move it chromatically
3.Comp through So What using only quartal voicings — one voicing per 8 bars
4.Try quartal voicings on dominant chords — they create a sus4 colour that delays resolution