Who this is for
Piano, guitar and ukulele players who know chords and want the changes between them to glide. Already voice chords smoothly by ear? Test out on Day 5.
Best done after: Voice Leading, Colour Your Chords. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Most players move from chord to chord by jumping the whole hand. **Voice leading** is the habit of moving as little as possible: keep notes the chords share, and move the others by the smallest step. The result sounds like one flowing piece, not a row of separate chords.
This program applies it to real playing: plain loops, the 3rd and 7th (guide tones) of jazz chords, and colour chords, where the colour notes ride on top of a smooth line. Everything is a suggestion: if you like the sound, it is right.
What you will be able to do
- Keeping common tones
- Moving the other notes by the smallest step
- Guide tones: the 3rd and 7th that connect chords
- Smooth voicings for colour chords
- Choosing inversions that glide
The 5-day plan
- Common tones and small steps. Connect plain chords by keeping shared notes and moving the rest by step.
- Guide tones. Find the 3rd and 7th of any chord and follow them through a ii–V–I.
- Smooth colour chords. Add colour on top of smooth guide tones.
- Inversions that glide. Choose inversions or shapes that keep your hand still.
- Test day: smooth changes. Show you can spot the smoothest move and the guide tones.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
Frequently asked questions
Does this only matter on piano?
No. On guitar and ukulele the same idea picks which shape to play and where on the neck. A close shape often sounds smoother than jumping to a new position.
What are guide tones?
The 3rd and 7th of a chord. They say what kind of chord it is and they move the least between chords. In ii–V–I the 7th of one chord falls a step to the 3rd of the next.
Do colour chords break voice leading?
No. Build colour on top of smooth guide tones: add a 9th or 13th above, and the line underneath stays smooth.
Is the smoothest voicing always best?
No. A big jump can be a good effect, for example into a chorus. Smooth is the starting point; leap when you want to be noticed.