So you’re getting better at jazz guitar. You’ve mastered easy jazz guitar chords, and even gotten comfortable with drop 3 voicings. Drop 2 chords just might be the next step for you.
After all, you need a better jazz guitar chord vocabulary – there are sounds you’re just not getting out of your guitar. Plus there are those nagging questions that pop up as you search the internet:
What the heck are inversions? Voice leading? How do I even get started with chord melody playing?
This is where drop 2 chords come in.
These shapes are a great new chord for your musical toolbox.
I use them all the time because they’re great for chord melody, ensemble playing, and they give you some sounds you just can’t quite get from drop 3 chords or shell voicings.
As a bonus… by the end of this lesson you can finally stop wondering about chord inversions and voice leading. These are important topics, but they just might not be as complicated as the internet wants you to think.
Keep reading, and let’s dive in to drop 2 chords.
Understanding Drop 2 Chords
Definition and Theory
To create a drop 2 chord, you take a standard chord and drop the second-highest note by an octave.
Like with drop 3 chords, this term comes from jazz arranging and jazz piano. But these patterns just happen to also line up with logical finger patterns for jazz chords on guitar.
As you can see in the examples below, you’ll have to make some adjustments to make the notes fit comfortably under your fingers, but the notes are all there… and the voicing stays the same.
We’re just making it playable on the guitar.
For practical purposes on guitar, here is how you identify a drop 2 chord structure:
- All 4 notes of the chord are there – 1, 3, 5, and 7
- The notes are all on adjacent strings – 4 strings in a row get played
- The notes are shuffled up – not in 1-3-5-7 order
Understanding String Sets
When we talk about drop 2 chords, it’s important to understand something called “string sets”.
A string set is the term for a specific group of strings. This is important because each drop 2 chord shape can be played on 3 different groups of strings – with slight adjustments to account for the tuning of the guitar.
Let’s take a look at the 3 possible string sets for drop 2 chords on guitar:
Strings 6-5-4-3:
This is the lowest group of strings. If you’re going to use it, it might be better for some ensemble settings, and maybe for accompanying a soloist playing in a higher register.
In general, I find this string set to be a little muddy sounding. So I don’t use it as much, personally. It’s just a matter of preference.
Strings 5-4-3-2:
The middle group of strings, and it works really well for drop 2 chords.
This will give you a nice and balanced sound for playing in most ensembles, and can work well for chord melody playing too.
Because of how the guitar is tuned, this string set does require a little more stretching for some of the shapes. But it’s worth it.
Strings 4-3-2-1:
This is the highest group of 4 strings, and my favorite set to use.
It gives you the highest, brightest sounding version of the chord shapes, and can really cut through the mix when you’re playing in a group.
Also – this string set generally gives you the easiest versions of the chord shapes to play. It’s a win-win.
This is my go-to string set for drop 2 chords in small group playing and chord melody arrangements.
Inversions and Voice Leading
Inversions are any chord structure that doesn’t have the root note in the bass of the chord (as the lowest note).
Here is a basic breakdown of chords and their inversions:
- Root on the bottom = root position
- 3rd on the bottom = 1st inversion
- 5th on the bottom = 2nd inversion
- 7th on the bottom = 3rd inversion
You’ll see this in action as we get into the actual chord shapes here in a minute.
Now while knowing what inversions are is nice, it’s mostly useful for getting right answers in theory class, or maybe earning a point or two on trivia night.
Knowing what inversion a chord is in has never once helped me get to a chord shape faster.
Knowing what string the root is on for a particular chord shape, on the other hand, has gotten me there faster every time.
Plus if you learn your chords in the way I’m about to show you, you’ll automatically know all of your inversions. It’s just how it works.
Voice leading is all about making smooth connections from one chord to the next.
In the textbook examples, you’re thinking about each note moving as little as possible to get to the next note.
The word choice here is important. Each note has to move as little as possible. Not each finger.
In fact, your fingers may sometimes have to move all over the place in the name of good voice leading.
But I’ve got a trick for you.
When you’re using drop 2 chords, the voice leading just about takes care of itself…
You just have to stick to 2 rules:
- Always stay within the same string set
- Always find the closest chord (either up or down the neck) to what you just played
Following this advice will all but guarantee good voice leading, and you never have to worry about it again.
It just takes some work… and you actually have to know all of your chord shapes to make it happen.
Common Drop 2 Chord Shapes for Jazz Guitar
Let’s take a look at each of the basic types of drop 2 chords you’ll need. For every chord quality, we’ll look at the chords on the high, middle, and low string sets – in that order.
Major 7
High String Set
Middle String Set
Low String Set
Dominant 7
High String Set
Middle String Set
Low String Set
Minor 7
High String Set
Middle String Set
Low String Set
Minor 7b5
High String Set
Middle String Set
Low String Set
Diminished 7
High String Set
Middle String Set
Low String Set
Applying Drop 2 Chords in Jazz Guitar Playing
Chord Progressions and Jazz Standards
Put your drop 2 chords to work as soon as they are ok under your fingers. They don’t necessarily have to be memorized – that will come with time and work.
But try to use them in exercises and songs instead of any other chord shapes you know.
At least for a little while.
Chord progressions like the cycle of 4ths, or ii V I progressions are a good place to start.
But you can also jump straight into playing songs if that’s what you want to do.
If you do this, I’d recommend you start with something you already know. That way you’re not working on new chords and a new song.
Let’s keep it to one new thing at a time… your brain will thank you for it.
Practicing Drop 2 Chords
Limit yourself to a small amount of choices.
Pick an area of the neck, and stick to it. The 5th or 6th fret is a good spot to use as a border.
I like to have my students work with chords by finding the root note at the 5th fret and below, and then the 5th fret and above.
This keeps the choices to a minimum, but still gives you some wiggle room to try out different chord shapes.
But you can work with as small as a 4 fret area for finding the root notes of your chords – and still be able to play in all 12 keys.
Obviously some fingers will have to fall outside this zone… but all of the root notes will be there.
Keep practicing, and your chords will get smoother and smoother.
Conclusion
Drop 2 chords are a helpful (if sometimes a little stretchy) chord shape to have in your vocabulary.
And even with the stretches, these chords are generally pretty comfortable under your fingers after a while.
Knowing your drop 2 chords will also help clean up your voice-leading by default… as long as you stick to the closest available chord, and the same string set as you play.
The high string set is one of my go-to tools for arranging chord melody, as well as playing in small group settings. Try out all of the variations, and you’ll learn a lot about your guitar fretboard.
What do you use drop 2 chords for? Let me know in the comments below.