What Are Rootless Voicings? Types A and B Explained

A rootless voicing is exactly what it sounds like: a chord voicing that leaves out the root. The bassist plays the root, so the pianist doesn't need to. This frees up a finger to add a colour tone — typically the 9th — creating a four-note voicing that's richer than a shell but still compact enough for the left hand.

There are two standard arrangements, called Type A and Type B.

Type A: Starting from the 3rd

Type A voices the chord from the bottom up as: 3rd — 5th — 7th — 9th. For Dm7, that gives us F, A, C, E. Listen — it's warm and full, even without the D root:

Type B: Starting from the 7th

Type B rearranges the same four notes so the 7th is on the bottom: 7th — 9th — 3rd — 5th. For Dm7, that's C, E, F, A. Same notes, different inversion, noticeably different feel:

Play them back to back. Type A sits a bit higher and feels brighter. Type B sits lower and feels darker, more grounded. Both are correct — the choice depends on context.

Why A and B Alternate

The real magic happens when you alternate types in a ii-V-I progression. If you play Dm7 with Type A, then move to G7 with Type B, your hand barely moves — maybe one or two notes shift by a semitone. This is called smooth voice leading, and it's what makes jazz piano sound effortless.

If you played Type A for every chord, your hand would jump around the keyboard. Alternating keeps everything compact and connected.

The Bill Evans Innovation

This system was popularised by Bill Evans in the late 1950s. Before Evans, most jazz pianists played the root in their left hand. Evans dropped it, trusting the bassist, and the result was a more harmonically transparent sound that became the standard approach. Today, virtually every jazz piano method book teaches rootless voicings as a core skill.

Start with shell voicings if you haven't already — they train your ear to hear guide tones. Then add rootless voicings to get that classic jazz piano sound.