The Power of Drop-2 Voicings

Horace Bray teaches how to connect theory and emotion with dropped chord voicings

Fresh, creative chord voicings can be be the difference between a good musical idea and a great musical idea. They can inspire not only different chord progressions, but also melodic ideas that can turn into songs or solos. Join Horace Bray as he helps you maximize your chords, draw out new colors, and overcome that stale feeling that may be accompanying your chord progressions.

Suited for guitarists of all skill levels, we will be adding the tools needed to spark more creative chords, progressions and understanding. Learn more or start the course with membership, or get lifetime access with purchase.

Course Details
30 Lessons
7 Hour+ Runtime
Tabs (gpx, pdf)
Playalong Tracks
HD+ Video
90 day guarantee
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What are Drop 2 Voicings?

The Same Notes, but Rearranged for new Options

Drop 2 voicings are built by taking your standard chord, and "dropping" the second by one octave. This "dropped" note is now the bass note of the chord, and can result in a more colorful, expressive voicing to your standard chord shapes. The same notes are played, but the ordering gives the chord a much different vibe and tonality.

Adding Expressiveness

If your standard chords are feeling stale, drop-2 voicings are an easy way to add more emotional expressiveness, and bring your progression to life with new tonality.

Coloring Your Progression

Chord progressions rely on tension and resolution, but often times can become predictable. Adding "color" with new voicings can move your creativity into a new direction.

If you feel like your chords could use some inspiration, then this course was made for you. If you are still a bit confused by these chords, don't worry... we start with the basics then ramp up as the course progresses.

The Difficult Made Easy with Practical Application

Learn, Digest and Execute in Step-By-Step Format

Horace presents ideas in sequential manner, as we explore Drop 2 voicings in major, minor, dominant, and half-diminished tonality. We also put an emphasis on the "movable" nature of this idea, traversing the shapes over various positions on the neck.

This course offers 30 lessons covering 7+ hours of material in step-by-step, digestible presentation.

Lessons in this Course
1

Series Introduction

Horace Bray discusses his new series "The Power of Drop 2 Voicings." As an addition to his previous series on triads, this series is all about helping you add color and depth to your playing!

2:44 Runtime

0.0 Difficulty

View this Lesson
2

Major Drop 2 Shapes Part 1 - From the E String

In this lesson, Horace starts us out by explaining exactly what a drop 2 voicing is, and then proceeds to show us our first set of voicings: major shapes from the E string.

15:51 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
3

Major Drop 2 Shapes Part 2 - From the A String

Colors of the voices change slightly now, as we move to basing our major drop 2 shapes from the A string.

12:01 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

View this Lesson
4

Major Drop 2 Shapes Part 3 - From the D String

Now Horace looks at the major drop 2 shapes on the high set of strings - from the D string. As in the first two lessons, we'll play the shapes up and down the neck.

12:00 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

5

Minor Drop 2 Shapes Part 1 - From the E String

As you might guess, the drop two voicing can be applied to minor chords also. In this lesson, Horace looks at the low string set for our minor drop 2 shapes.

12:52 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

6

Minor Drop 2 Shapes Part 2 - From the A String

Moving to the shapes based from the A string, or middle string set, we find more minor chords with character!

12:21 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

7

Minor Drop 2 Shapes Part 3 - From the D String

The high set of drop 2 minor shapes based from the D string evoke a certain type of rhythm guitar, and a wealth of options in your own playing!

12:20 Runtime

2.5 Difficulty

8

Dominant Drop 2 Shapes Part 1 - From the E String

Dominant chords carry a certain amount of tension with them, and depending on the voicing, that tension can vary a bit. Horace starts us out with these drop 2 shapes based from the E string

12:14 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

9

Dominant Drop 2 Shapes Part 2 - From the A String

Now on to the middle set of dominant drop 2 shapes, based from the A string.

12:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

10

Dominant Drop 2 Shapes Part 3 - From the D String

In this lesson, Horace takes a look at the high string set of dominant drop 2 shapes.

12:06 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

11

Half Diminished Drop 2 Shapes Part 1 - From the E String

Learning the best way to use diminished chords can be tricky, but no doubt it starts with learning the shapes inside and out, all up and down the neck. Horace starts us out on the shapes based from the E string.

12:33 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

12

Half Diminished Drop 2 Shapes Part 2 - From the A String

Drop 2 shapes are usually out of the ordinary as far as what we are used to playing. The best way of learning these diminished shapes is to take them to the 'woodshed' and get them flawlessly under our fingers. Here, Horace gives us the baseline for practicing these shapes from the A string.

12:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

13

Half Diminished Drop 2 Shapes Part 3 - From the D String

Now we move the high set of drop 2 diminished shapes, starting from the D string.

12:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

14

Diatonic Movement - Root Position

In this lesson, Horace shows us how to play the scale diatonically using the root position drop 2 shapes.

16:54 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

15

Diatonic Movement - First Inversion

Here, we incorporate the variety and versatility of the drop 2 shapes by playing the diatonic chord scales using first inversion drop 2 shapes.

17:20 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

16

Diatonic Movement - Second Inversion

Using second inversion drop shapes, the diatonic chord scales becomes even more colored and diverse!

17:07 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

17

Ascending Motion, Descending Harmony

Voice leading allows us to not only keep our voicings close, but to also economize our motion around the neck and fretboard. Horace shows us a tricky but useful exercise where we voice lead our way by ascending our motion while descending our harmony.

12:23 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

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18

Descending Motion, Ascending Harmony

Now the opposite! We'll descend our motion across the neck, while ascending our harmony. Sort of a brain teaser, but will only help solidify our drop 2 voicings!

11:11 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

19

ii-V-I Progressions Part 1 - From the E String

The ii-V-I progression is a cornerstone of jazz, soul/R&B and many other genres. In this lesson, Horace shows us how to incorporate the drop 2 shapes we've learned so far into this classic progression, starting from shapes based from the E string.

19:57 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

20

ii-V-I Progressions Part 2 - From the A String

Now on to our ii-V-I drop 2 shapes based from the A string.

19:15 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

21

ii-V-I Progressions Part 3 - From the D String

In this lesson we'll look at the high set of strings and how to play our ii-V-I progression.

19:25 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

22

Tri-Tone Substitution Overview

What is a tri-tone substitution, why do I need it, and how do I use it? Answers to these and other burning questions can be found in this lesson!

21:58 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

23

Minor ii-bv-i Progressions Part 1 - From the E String

Yet another classic progression to practice our drop 2 shapes with. This lesson starts with the shapes based from the E string.

21:22 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

24

Minor ii-bv-i Progressions Part 2 - From the A String

Now Horace looks at the middle set of strings for this progression.

19:02 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

25

Minor ii-bv-i Progressions Part 3 - From the D String

Lastly, the progression is played on the high set of strings, offering even more colors to play with!

19:07 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

26

Neo Soul Drop 2 Licks

Now it's time to apply some of the things we've learned in the series to real life situations. In this lesson, Horace shows us some cool Neo Soul drop 2 licks.

19:28 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

27

Diminished Jazz Drop 2 Licks

Diminished drop 2 licks in Jazz can be the basis for great rhythm playing or even chord solos. Horace shows us some great usage for these in this lesson.

17:25 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

28

Rock Blues Drop 2 Lick

Although not as common, drop 2 licks can be used in rock and blues. Here Horace shows us a couple of examples of this.

13:48 Runtime

3.0 Difficulty

29

Drop 2 Etude 1

Now for something a little more challenging. This short Etude can be used to expand your familiarity with drop 2 voicings, and see how they might be used in a song situation.

20:44 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

30

Drop 2 Etude 2

Lastly, one more Etude to challenge our knowledge and execution of the drop 2 voicings.

28:06 Runtime

3.5 Difficulty

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