4.19Shell voicings

A pianist does not always need the entire chord.

For G7, you might play:

G + B + F

root + 3rd + 7th.

No D.

For Cmaj7:

C + E + B

Again:

root + 3rd + 7th.

These are often called shell voicings.

They are especially useful when playing with a bassist or when the melody supplies other chord tones.