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The problem it solves
To comp a progression clearly you do not need to play every note of each chord. You need to know which essential notes carry the harmonic thread from one chord to the next.
Detailed theory
Key idea
A chord's guide tones are usually the third and the seventh.
In a ii-V-I, the thirds and sevenths move mostly by step, and the seventh of one chord often becomes the third of the next.
Understand it
Of all a chord's notes, the third and the seventh are the ones that define its quality (major, minor, dominant…). That is why they are called guide tones: they guide the ear through the progression while the root and fifth act as padding.
What makes guide tones special is how they move. In a ii-V-I progression, the thirds and sevenths shift mostly by step, taking small steps from one chord to the next, and often the seventh of a chord drops to become the third of the following one.
In C major it is very clear. Dm7 has as guide tones F (the third) and C (the seventh). G7 has B (the third) and F (the seventh). Cmaj7 has E (the third) and B (the seventh). Notice that the F of Dm7 (the seventh) becomes the third of G7, and that the B of G7 (the third) rises to C just a half step away.
An analogy: guide tones are the load-bearing threads that stitch one chord to the next; everything else is padding. If you play only these threads (third and seventh) you already have clear, economical harmony, perfect for comping.
That is why mastering guide tones lets you comp with two notes per chord and still make the whole progression intelligible: the ear reconstructs the rest from this backbone.
Staff & keyboard
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The seventh of G7 (F) drops a half step to the third of Cmaj7 (E): the guide tone moves by step toward the next chord.
How to recognise it
How it's written
For each chord, mark the third and the seventh: these two notes are the guide tones. Follow them from one chord to the next and you will see they draw a line of small steps through the progression.
How it feels
Play a whole ii-V-I and then only the thirds and sevenths of each chord: you will hear that this two-note backbone already conveys all the harmonic motion, because it holds the tension and the resolution.
Common mistake
Jumping between chord positions without following the path of each voice, instead of keeping the guide tones moving by step.
Thinking you have to play every note of the chord: the third and the seventh already define its quality and carry the voice leading.
Try it
In C major, play only the guide tones of the ii-V-I: F+C (Dm7), B+F (G7), E+B (Cmaj7).
Follow a single guide tone: check how the seventh of G7 (F) drops to the third of Cmaj7 (E) by step.
On the instrument
Staff & keyboard
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The guide tones of the ii-V-I in C major: Dm7 (F+C), G7 (B+F) and Cmaj7 (E+B). They move in small steps from one chord to the next.
Where it's used
- Comping with few notes
- Playing only the third and the seventh of each chord to comp with clarity and economy.
- Connecting chords by step
- Following thirds and sevenths so they move in small steps from one chord to the next.
- Understanding a progression's tension
- Recognising how the guide tones carry the tension and resolution of a ii-V-I.
Examples
Chord progression
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The whole ii-V-I in C major. Listen to it and notice that the thirds and sevenths (the guide tones) are what carry the motion of tension and rest.
Prepares you for
Mini test
Check that you've got it.
0/9 answeredQuestion 1/9
What are a chord's guide tones usually?