This chord is much more similar to an example of close harmony than the open voicings that I posted earlier. Close harmony is essentially the opposite of open harmony. The notes are often clustered together and might include minor seconds. This example could be written, once again, as a poly chord or by referencing the notes used. I tend to think of it as a poly chord because In the left hand I’m playing an incomplete B flat major seventh made up of B flat, F and A, followed by a C major triad in the right, starting with the G below the A in the left hand. This means my thumbs are crossed leaving me in a good position to play arpeggios around the C triad.

Rhodes Chord B Flat Major 7 (b5) Poly C over B Flat 7

This chord is a good example of open harmony. Open harmony is simply the use of intervals that are widely dispersed to produce chord structures.

This chord is an E thirteen with a flatted ninth. In sequence from the bottom up I’m playing E, F and G sharp as the tenth with my left hand, followed by D, G, and C (all naturals) with the right.

Rhodes Chord E13 (flat 9)

The second voicing in my series of Rhodes chords is a suspended F chord with a flatted ninth. The flatted ninth might also be referred to as a minor second because I’m playing it right next to the root. You could also call this an A flat thirteen over F. I’m not sure what the most correct way to write this chord is, but the minor second and suspended note (B flat) seem to dominate the harmonic structure.

Rhodes Chord F Sus (flat 9)

It’s no secret that I’m a lifelong Rhodes electric piano fanatic. I could come up with a laundry list of reasons why this is the case, but one of the main reasons is how well the instrument responds harmonically. Therefore, I have decided to briefly forgo articles about sound design, processing, and field recording in order to present a few of my favored chord voicings on my suitcase model studio Rhodes.

The first example is a poly chord. It’s basically an E major triad over a D major triad, except I’m playing the D as a tenth with the fifth in the middle in the left hand and the third inversion of an E major triad in the right. You’ll need a wide reach in your left hand to play this voicing. The nice thing about it is the deep, open, and complex sound created by the thirteen and the flat five.

Rhodes Chord D7 (13 flat 5) Poly E over D