I’ve arranged "Smile" using my basic 2+2 chord voicing method for piano.
The 2+2 chord voicing approach is a practical system for pianists to develop the skill of spontaneously forming clean, effective chord voicings from lead sheets. It keeps things simple by assigning each hand a clear role. The left hand provides the harmonic foundation, usually playing either the root and 7th or the root and 3rd (occasionally the root and 5th, especially on tonic chords). The right-hand thumb fills in the missing essential chord tone—either the 3rd or 7th, whichever isn’t already covered by the left hand—while the remaining fingers in the right hand play the melody above. This setup allows players to voice full chords while maintaining clarity and melodic focus.
This approach not only supports harmonic accuracy but also promotes ergonomic ease and stylistic flexibility. 2+2 chord voicings prioritize finger-friendly shapes and hand spacing, often relying on parallel motion—moving both hands in the same shape. Unlike classical writing, where parallel motion is generally avoided, in jazz it is both acceptable and expressive, allowing players to move efficiently and with rhythmic confidence. The 2+2 system offers a compact and modern solution to balancing harmony and melody in a manageable texture.
The resulting voicings are compact, playable, and support the melody both rhythmically and harmonically. They create a balanced, professional sound that works well in solo piano settings and within ensembles. When it’s time to improvise, the pianist can continue using the left hand as they did in the arrangement—alternating between root and 7th and root and 3rd shapes—to provide a steady harmonic foundation. As players grow more fluent with the system, they can begin to enrich their voicings with added tones, increase rhythmic variation in the left hand, and use embellishments in the right to develop their own distinctive sound.
Although 2+2 chord arranging forms the core of my approach, I also explore a variety of textures to suit different musical contexts. These include Latin left-hand accompaniments, stride techniques, walking bass lines, Broadway bass, and arpeggio-based left-hand patterns—each offering its own expressive possibilities and stylistic nuances.
2+2 jazz chord arranging is flexible and designed for expressive voicing in real-time performance, often in the context of improvisation.
I’ve created over 1,200 solo jazz piano arrangements using the 2+2 method and produced 65 tutorials, all available at www.Patreon.com/HarryLikas
I was also the technical editor for Mark Levine’s "The Jazz Theory Book" and a contributor to "The Jazz Piano Book."
