Stage 1 of 7

Two-Note Shells

The Bud Powell Foundation

Two-note shells are the absolute foundation of jazz piano voicing. You play just the root and 7th (or root and 3rd) in your left hand while a bassist covers the full harmony. This is how Bud Powell played — minimal, punchy, and rhythmically precise.

The purpose is to train your ear to hear chord quality from just two notes. If you can hear the difference between a major 7th and a minor 7th from two notes, you understand harmony at its core.

Prerequisites

None — this is where everyone starts.

Voicing Styles in This Stage

Two Note Shell

How to Practice

1.Play root + 7th for every chord through the cycle of 5ths: C-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-Db-F#-B-E-A-D-G
2.Then play root + 3rd through the same cycle — notice how the 3rd tells you major vs minor
3.Play through Blue Monk using only two-note shells in your left hand
4.Set a metronome at 60 BPM and play one shell per bar through So What