The Easiest Way to Make Piano Chords More Complex (Spread Voicing)

To make piano chords more complex, play the triad as a left-hand spread voicing (root, fifth, then the third an octave higher as a tenth), keep the root and tenth fixed, and change only the middle note to create sixth, seventh and augmented chords.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 10 min

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music shows a simple, repeatable way to add colour to your chords in the left hand. You start with an ordinary major or minor triad, play it as a spread voicing, and then change just one note to get major sevenths, dominant sevenths, sixths, augmented chords and minor extensions. It suits players who already know their basic triads and want a fuller, more professional left hand.

Step 1: Play the triad as a spread voicing

A triad has three notes: the root, the third and the fifth. Instead of playing them close together, take the middle note (the third) and move it up to the top. For F major that gives F, C, A from the bottom up, so the A sits a major tenth above the root.

This is how a bass player or cellist would naturally voice chord tones. A close-position triad low in the left hand sounds muddy, while the spread shape stays clear even in a deep register.

Step 2: Change the middle note for major chord colours

Keep the root and the tenth where they are. The middle note, which starts as the perfect fifth, is the one you move. Adding a full four-note seventh chord low down sounds muddy, so you replace the fifth rather than adding to it.

• F major: F, C, A (the plain, vanilla chord)
• F augmented: F, C#, A (sharpen the fifth)
• F major 6th: F, D, A (move the fifth up to the sixth)
• F dominant 7th: F, Eb, A (use the flat seventh). This gives an unstable, expectant sound and is used constantly for left-hand comping in blues.
• F major 7th: F, E, A (use the major seventh, the seventh note of the F major scale)

Notice that the middle note simply climbs by semitones: C, C#, D, Eb, E. Going back to the plain major chord after these colours is always an option too.

Step 3: Apply it to minor chords

Minor chords work the same way. The only difference is the top note: a minor tenth instead of a major tenth. For F minor the spread shape is F, C, Ab. Again, start with the perfect fifth in the middle and then move it:

• F minor 7th: F, Eb, Ab
• F minor-major 7th: F, E, Ab (a rarer sound)
• F minor 6th: F, D, Ab, which gives that dark, spy-film colour associated with James Bond

Step 4: Practise in I, IV and V

To learn these shapes in context, practise them on the chords a fourth and a fifth above the root, because they appear together in songs. In F that means F, Bb and C:

• Bb: Bb, F, D as the spread major; Bb, A, D for major 7th; Bb, Ab, D for dominant 7th
• C: C, G, E as the spread major; C, G#, E augmented; C, A, E major 6th; C, Bb, E dominant 7th; C, B, E major 7th

Eventually get to know these colours on all 12 major and 12 minor triads.

If you cannot stretch a tenth

These shapes stretch the hand. If you cannot reach, use the sustain pedal: play the root, hold it with the pedal, lift your finger and move across to reach the tenth. Even if you can stretch, the pedal is worth using because it adds extra resonance to the sound.

How to practise and explore

Even without knowing chord names, you can decide on a major or minor tenth and then explore the notes in between. This approach opens the door to jazz extensions such as ninths, thirteenths and sharp elevens, and to modal sounds. Because the left hand carries the harmony, your right hand is free to improvise over it.

Questions about this lesson

What is a spread voicing on the piano?

A spread voicing takes the third of a triad and moves it up an octave, so the left hand plays root, fifth and then the third as a tenth. For F major that is F, C, A, a clear sound similar to how a bassist or cellist voices chords.

How do I turn a spread triad into a seventh chord?

Keep the root and the tenth, and replace the fifth in the middle with the seventh. For F, use E for F major 7th or Eb for F dominant 7th, giving F, E, A or F, Eb, A.

Why not just play all four notes of a seventh chord in the left hand?

Played close together in the low register, four notes sound muddy. Replacing the fifth with the seventh in a spread shape keeps the chord clear and colourful.

What if my hand cannot reach a tenth?

Play the root, hold it with the sustain pedal, then release your finger and move it across to play the tenth. The pedal also adds resonance, so it is useful even if you can stretch.

Practise it

• Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
• Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
• Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
• All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.

Related lessons

• How to Make Left-Hand Piano Chords Sound HugeTo make left-hand piano chords sound huge without getting muddy, use a spread voicing: play the root, then the fifth, then the third an octave higher (a tenth), so F major becomes F C A and F minor becomes F C Ab.
• 5 Piano Chord Voicings That Instantly Sound Richer: Spread, Slash, Add9, 7ths and QuartalTo make simple piano chords sound richer, take a progression like G–Em–Am–D and replay it with spread (open) voicings, slash chords, stacked-fifth add9 shapes, 1-5 plus 3-7 seventh voicings, or quartal chords built in fourths.
• 5 Simple Ways to Make Your Chords Colourful Without ExtensionsYou can make simple major and minor triads sound colourful on piano, without sevenths or jazz extensions, by using five voicing techniques: static fifth chords, add2 and add4 chords, slash chords, spread voicings, and quartal or quintal voicings.
• Amazing Grace Piano Tutorial: Spread Voicing Chords and Melody (Solo Arrangement)To play Amazing Grace as a solo piano arrangement, play each chord low in the left hand as a three-note spread voicing (root, fifth and the third an octave higher, a tenth above the root) in F major and 3/4 time, so the right hand is free to play and embellish the melody.