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So What Chord
Quartal Harmony

Up to this point, we have discussed building chords up in intervals of 3rds (tertian harmony). But it is
also possible to build chords up in intervals of 4ths. This is called Quartal Harmony. The So What
Chord is a speci c type of Quartal Chord (we will discuss Quartal Chords
(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-chord-voicings/quartal-voicings/) in more
detail in an upcoming lesson). The So What Chord Voicing is a classic and widely used Modern Jazz
piano voicing. This chord voicing derives its name from the song So What from Mile Davis’ Kind of Blue
album. In this song the pianist, Bill Evans, plays a particular chord voicing which has become known
as the So What Chord.

Quartal chord voicings:

Sound very modern;

Are very ambiguous (there is no clear tonal centre [root note] and each voicing can be
many di erent chords);
Because they are ambiguous, they do not have the same need to resolve to any particular
chord – they just oat there as stand alone entities.

Chords built in 4ths are analysed in the same way as regular chords built in 3rds. We look at all the
notes that comprise them and gure out an appropriate chord name. This is arguably unsuitable,
because chords built in 4ths sound and function very di erently to chords built in 3rds. But
unfortunately, standard music theory is what everyone knows and uses.

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So What Chord
The So What Chord is a two handed chord voicing made up of 5 notes. It is built out of three

stacked Perfect 4ths with a Major 3rd on top. So, for example, the D So What Chord is:

Left Hand: D-G

Right Hand: C-F-A

Chord Ambiguity

Because of the way the So What Chord is constructed (out of 4ths rather than 3rds), it is rather
ambiguous and can be numerous chords at once, depending on the context. Some of these chords
are listed below.

So What Chord Possible Chords Notes

D So What Chord Dm11 DFACEG

D-G C-F-A
B♭Maj13 B♭ D F A C ( ) G

E♭Maj13#11 E♭ G B♭ D F A C

F69 FACDG

G9sus GCDFA

Because these chords are built in 4ths, they have a slightly Suspended Chord
(http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-chords/suspended-
chords/) sound. This also means that they do not have the same need to resolve to another chord
(like a G7 feels like it needs to resolve to CMaj7).

Chord Progressions

The So What Chord Voicing can be used in a standard ‘tonal’ chord progression (going around a
Circle Progression (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-chord-
progressions/circle-of- fths/) or II-V-I (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-
chord-progressions/ii-v-functionality/)) or a ‘modal’ chord progression (moving in steps). We will learn

much more about tonal and modal harmony (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-
lessons/modern-jazz-theory/tonal-harmony-vs-modal-harmony/) in future lessons.

Tonal Chord Progression

You can use the So What Chord in a II-V-I chord progression, as shown below.

II-V-I in C

Basic Chord Progression Dm7 G7 CMaj7

Variation #1 Dm11 G9sus CMaj13

D So What Voicing D So What Voicing E So What Voicing

D-G C-F-A D-G C-F-A E-A D-G-B

Variation #2 Dm11 G9 CMaj13#11

D So What Voicing Open B So What Voicing

D-G C-F-A D-G B-F-A B-E A-D-F#

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Modal Chord Progression

Because the So What Chord Voicing is ambiguous and doesn’t need to resolve, you can move it
around the piano however you like. Any chord can move to any other chord. You can create some
really smooth and nice sounding progressions by moving the So What Chord up and down in steps
(as is often done in Modal Jazz (http://www.thejazzpianosite.com/jazz-piano-lessons/modern-jazz-
theory/modal-jazz/)) or in small jumps. This can be done in two ways:

Diatonic – Only using the notes within a key (Note: One of the 4ths in a diatonic key will be
a ‘diminished 4th’ or tritone, like that between B and F in the key of C Major);
Parallel Motion (Parallelism) – Keeping the true/classic So What shape.

Root Parallel (True So Diatonic (in key of C Possible Chords (for

Note What) Major) Diatonic)

C C-F B♭-E♭-G C-F B-E-G Gsus

D D-G C-F-A D-G C-F-A Dm11

B♭Maj13
E♭Maj13#11
F69
G9sus

E E-A D-G-B E-A D-G-B Em11

CMaj13
FMaj13#11
G69
A9sus

F F-B♭ E♭-A♭-C F-B E-A-C G7sus

FMaj7#11

G G-C F-B♭-D G-C F-B-D G7sus

FMaj#11
 Root Parallel (True So Diatonic (in key of C Possible Chords (for 
Note What) Major) Diatonic)

A A-D G-C-E A-D G-C-E Am11

FMaj13
B♭Maj13#11
C69
D9sus

B B-E A-D-F# B-E A-D-F G13

Bø7
Dm69
FMaj7#11

So What Inversions

Like any chord, So What Chords also have inversions. All of these inversions can be used if you need
a di erent bass note or melody note on top. Notice that the 4th inversion of a So What chord is a
standard Quartal Chord (which, again, we will discuss in an upcoming lesson).

So What Chord Inversions

Root Position D-G C-F-A

1st Inversion G-C F-A-D

2nd Inversion C-F A-D-G

3rd Inversion F-A D-G-C

4th Inversion A-D G-C-F

(Quartal Voicing)
 

So What Alterations

You can also alter the interval between your left hand and right hand to create a new chord and a
more dissonant sound. Below are a few examples of this.

So What Chord Notes Possible Chord

Classic So What D-G C-F-A Dm11

LH + 2 semitones E-A C-F-A Dm9 or FMaj7

LH + 3 semitones F-B♭ C-F-A B♭Maj9

LH + 4 semitones F#-B C-F-A ?

Jazz Piano History

Quartal harmony was rst used extensively by McCoy Tyner in the 1960’s. And because Quartal
chords are a bit ambiguous, they are more conducive to Modal harmony (again, we will discuss
Modal Jazz in a future lesson). Today, playing chords built in 3rds is considered a bit old-fashioned
and simplistic. Instead, Modern Jazz Pianists prefer to play chord built in 4ths.

Have a Listen to

So What ~ Miles Davis

 Peresina ~ McCoy Tyner

Matrix ~ Chick Corea

Jazz Piano Chord Voicings - So What Chord

>> NEXT LESSON >> (/jazz-piano-lessons/jazz-chord-voicings/barron-chord)

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