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Drop 3 chords are some of the first voicings that guitarists learn when they begin to explore jazz guitar, as theyve been
used by many legendary jazz guitarists over the years on their recordings.
From Joe Pass, to Wes Montgomery, to Pat Metheny, drop 3 chords can be found in the comping,chord melody, and chord
soloing phrases of some of the best in the business.

For this reason, drop 3 chords arent only the first chords many jazz guitarists study, theyre also one of the most important
chord groups that players need to work out in the woodshed.
Though they are essential, drop 3 chords need to be treated with care when applied to a musical situation due to the timbre
and tone they create on the guitar, especially on the lower strings.
Drop 3 chords work well for duo and solo guitar, but they can be muddy when you use them with a bass player.
Be careful when and where you use drop 3 chord inversions with a bass player, you dont want to step on your bass
players toes!
For this reason, most players use drop 3 chords when playing solo or duo without a bass player.
Then, they use drop 2 chords or other voicings when theres a bass player in the ensemble.
Make sure to learn both drop 2 and drop 3 chords to make sure youll be ready for any jazz comping situation.
In this lesson, you will learn how build, play and apply drop 3 chords tocommon jazz harmonic situations as you bring these
classic chords off the page and onto your fretboard.

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What Are Drop 3 Chords
Drop 3 Maj7 Chords
Drop 3 7th Chords
Drop 3 m7 Chords
Drop 3 m7b5 Chords
Drop 3 Dim7 Chords
Drop 3 mMaj7 Chords
Drop 3 7#11 Chords
Drop 3 Maj7#11 Chords
Drop 3 Chord Exercise 1

Drop 3 Chord Exercise 2

Drop 3 Chord Exercise 3
Drop 3 Major ii V I VI Phrases
Drop 3 Minor ii V I Phrases
Drop 3 Blue Bossa Chords

Free Jazz Guitar eBook: Download a free Jazz guitar PDF thatll teach you how to play Jazz chord progressions, solo over
Jazz chords, and walk basslines.

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One of the most common questions I get from students and readersabout jazz chords is:

How do you build a drop 3 chord?

Drop 3 chords are built by taking the 3rd highest note in a closed position chord and lowering it, dropping it, by an
octave.
This is also how drop 3 chords get their name, because the 3rd note in a closed position chord has been dropped.
Heres how that transition looks on the fretboard to help with visualizing this chord construction.
Notice that each drop 3 chord has a string skip between the lowest two notes as this is a characteristic of these shapes.
This string skip is what differentiates drop 3 chords on the guitar fromdrop 2 chords, which are played without any string
skips between notes.

When you drop the 3rd note of any closed-position chord by an octave, you produce the following four interval patterns for

each inversion.

Root Position R-7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-7
2nd Inversion 5-3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-5-R-3

These formulae works for any chord type you can think of, you just have to alter the interval qualities to fit that chord type.
For example, a root position drop 3 7th chord is built R-b7-3-5, a m7 chord would be R-b7-b3-5, etc.
The intervals change to match the chord youre playing, but the order of the intervals remains the same.
To help you take these shapes onto the fretboard, lets take a look at 8 different drop 3 chords for all of the common chord
qualities used in jazz.
Each of these groups of drop 3 chords is written in C.
Make sure to move them to other keys as you explore these shapes further in yourjazz guitar practice routine.

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To begin, here are 8 different Cmaj7 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-7
2nd Inversion 5-3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-5-R-3

Here are four inversions of Cmaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different C7 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-b7-3-5

1st Inversion 3-R-5-b7
2nd Inversion 5-3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-5-R-3

Here are four inversions of C7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different Cm7 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-b7-b3-5

1st Inversion b3-R-5-b7
2nd Inversion 5-b3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-5-R-b3

Here are four inversions of Cm7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different Cm7b5 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-b7-b3-b5

1st Inversion b3-R-b5-b7
2nd Inversion 5-b3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-b5-R-b3

Here are four inversions of Cm7b5 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different Cdim7 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-bb7-b3-b5

1st Inversion b3-R-b5-bb7
2nd Inversion b5-b3-bb7-R
3rd Inversion bb7-b5-R-b3

Here are four inversions of Cdim7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

sdhrCom7M3japoDr
Here are 8 different CmMaj7 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-7-b3-5

1st Inversion b3-R-5-7
2nd Inversion 5-b3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-5-R-b3

Here are four inversions of CmMaj7 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different C7#11 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-b7-3-#11

1st Inversion 3-R-#11-b7
2nd Inversion #11-3-b7-R
3rd Inversion b7-#11-R-3

Here are four inversions of C7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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Here are 8 different Cmaj7#11 drop 3 chords, which have the interval structure:

Root Position R-7-3-#11

1st Inversion 3-R-#11-7
2nd Inversion #11-3-7-R
3rd Inversion 7-#11-R-3

Here are four inversions of Cmaj7#11 with the lowest note on the 6th string.

You can also play these drop 3 chords with the lowest note on the 5th string.

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The first drop 3 chord exercise is based on finding chords that are only one note different from other shapes, and then
moving between these chords on the fretboard.
This means that you start with chord A, then change one note to form chord B, then repeat that process for the progression.
Heres an example of this exercise that covers 5 different chord types in one progression.
Play these chords using drop 3 shapes in C, before moving them to other keys on the fretboard.
As well, you can use any string set, and any inversion, to outline these shapes, just stick to the same one for each time
through the exercise.
If you play the first Cmaj7 chord as a 1st inversion with the root on the 6th string, keep that same outline as you then move

to the other chords in the exercise.

This means that you play every chord as a 1st inversion with the lowest note on the 6th string.

Heres an example of that chord progression using drop 3 chords from the 6th string in root position.

Click to hear

Vm P

Heres another progression that I like to use where the second chord is built by altering one note from the first chord shape.

Again, you can begin with this example fingering before taking the exercise to other inversions, string sets, chord qualities,
and keys in your practice routine.

Click to hear

Vm P

Lastly, heres another chord progression you can use to learn and memorize various types of drop 3 chords in the practice
room.

And here are sample fingerings to get you started with this exercise in the woodshed.

Click to hear

Vm P

Once youve worked through these three progressions in various keys and in all inversions on different string sets, come up
with your own progressions to work drop 3 chords in the woodshed.

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This exercise brings practical application to your practice routine, as you outline major key ii V I VI changes using drop 3
voice leading.
When doing so, you begin on any iim7 drop 3 chord, such as the root position, and then move to the closest V7 chord,
Imaj7 and VI7b9 chord in that area of the fretboard.
Heres how that looks on the neck of the guitar.

Click to hear

Vm P

When doing so, you always use the following inversions for each chord.

R-2nd-R-1st
1st-3rd-1st-2nd
2nd-R-2nd-3rd
3rd-1st-3rd-R

This order of inversions is the same for major and minor ii V I vi progressions, and so its worth memorizing as you take this
exercise further in the woodshed.
Once youve worked out the example above, move to the inversions of Dm7 on the 6432 strings, voice leading the chords
from there through the progression.
Then, move on to different keys on that string set, and onto the 5321 string set before applying these shapes to a
full jazz
song in your studies.

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You can then repeat the previous exercise with minor key ii V I vi chords, as you can see in the following example.
Again, once you have these shapes down in various keys and on both string sets, take them to a tune such as Autumn
Leaves, which has both major and minor ii V I changes, in order to work these chords in a musical situation.

Click to hear

Vm P

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Apart from working chord progression with inversions, you can expand your playing by practicing drop 3 chord phrases.
To begin your study of drop 3 chord phrases, here are 3 major ii V I VI progressions that use drop 3 shapes to outline each
chord.
Work these phrases in the given key of C major to begin, before taking them to all 12 keys from there in your studies.
In this first ii V I VI phrase, youll use steady quarter notes and inversions to outline each chord in the progression.
Notice how each chord moves to the closest inversion of the next chord, which is considered smooth voice leading.
You dont always have to move to the closest next chord in the progression, but its effective to have that skill if needed
when comping over jazz chord progressions.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

Here, youll be using a more syncopated rhythm to create interest over the chord changes, using drop 3 shapes along the
way.
Notice the chords in the first bar, Dm7-Fmaj7-F#dim7-G7.
This is a standard ii-V movement on guitar that many jazz guitarists use to create movement in their lines.
Next time you find yourself playing over a ii V progression, you can play iim7-IVmaj7-#IVdim7-V7 instead to bring
movement to your jazz guitar comping patterns.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

The final example places drop 3 chords on the & of 2 and 4 in each bar.
This is a popular jazz guitar rhythm pattern, and one that you can take out of this example and use it to create interest in
other comping situations.
The key to this pattern is not to rush each attack, which is easy to do when youre only playing upbeats.
Go slow with this example, work with a metronome, and count through each bar in the beginning to ensure youve got the
rhythm nailed before increasing the tempo from there.

Backing Track

Vm P

Click to hear

Vm P

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To expand your drop 3 chords further, here are 3 examples of applying these chord shapes to a minor ii V I chord
progression.
As was the case with the major ii V Is, work these examples in the given key first, before taking them to other keys in your
studies from there.
The first pattern uses quarter notes on beats 2 and 4 of each bar to outline a minor ii V I in C.
Playing on 2 and 4 is a common jazz guitar rhythm, and one that you can apply to any tune youre comping over.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

Here is a steady quarter-note pattern that uses inversions and descending chromatic chords, in the second bar, to create
interest over the progression.
In the second bar, you have a typical jazz dim7 chord phrase, where rather than playing through two inversions of a dim7
chord shape, you connect them chromatically.
Here you have Fdim7 played over G7alt, sounding a G7b9 chord, which then descends chromatically until you reach the
next inversion of that Fdim7 chord at the end of the bar.
Next time you have a dim7 chord, use this chromatic connection approach to bring new life into your dim7 inversions on
the guitar.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

This final phrase uses a bossa nova guitar pattern that you can study and add to your comping patterns.
Itll also prepare you for the bossa nova pattern used in the Blue Bossa study below.
Take your time with this pattern, go slow and count through each bar to make sure youre playing the correct rhythms.
Also, to bring an authentic Brazilian jazz feel to the phrase, keep everything quiet in the first half of the bar, and then
accent the last two chord punches in the end of each bar.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

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To finish your introduction to drop 3 chords, heres a comping study that you can learn over the chord progression to Blue
Bossa.
Besides using drop 3 chords, this study uses a popular bossa nova rhythm for guitar thatll challenge your picking hand in
the practice room.
Because the rhythm is a challenge, take your time with the first two bars.
Once you have the rhythm down over Cm7, youll notice it repeats for the entire progression, so you can continue on from
there.
Go slow with this study, work it with a metronome at first, before getting it up to speed with the audio and backing tracks
below.

Backing Track
Click to hear

Vm P

Vm P

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