So What chord
In
For example, an "E minor" So What chord is an Em11 voicing,:[2]
The So What chord is often used as an alternative to
It may also be thought of as a five-note quartal chord (built from fourths) with the top note lowered by a
Other jazz recordings that make extensive use of the chord include McCoy Tyner's "Peresina" and Gary Burton's "Gentle Wind and Falling Tear". Tyner's use of similar voicings was an early influence on Chick Corea; it can be heard in tunes such as "Steps" and "Matrix" (both featured on his landmark album Now He Sings, Now He Sobs).
The term "So What chord" is used extensively in Mark Levine's landmark work The Jazz Piano Book, wherein he describes a range of uses for which the voicing might be employed.[4] Frank Mantooth dedicated two chapters to the chord under the name "Miracle voicing" in his work Voicings for Jazz Keyboard.[5]
References
- ISBN 0-7866-4983-6.
- ^ ISBN 0-634-08678-2.
- ISBN 0-8256-1624-7.
- ISBN 0961470151.
- ISBN 0-7935-3485-2.