By Herbie Hancock

Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage is a modal jazz composition by Herbie Hancock, released in 1965 on his album of the same name. The tune features a unique progression with suspended dominant chords and a repeating comping rhythm. It's known for its open sound and has become a favorite among jazz musicians.

By Herbie Hancock

Maiden Voyage

Maiden Voyage
is a modal jazz composition by Herbie Hancock, released in 1965 on his album of the same name. The tune features a unique progression with suspended dominant chords and a repeating comping rhythm. It's known for its open sound and has become a favorite among jazz musicians.

Chord Charts: Maiden Voyage

Chord Charts

Learn the chord changes to

Maiden Voyage

using common lead sheets for C, Bb, and Eb instruments.

Form: AABA
Total Bars: 32
Common Key(s): D
How to Play This Tune

Step 1: Unlock the Harmonic Flexibility of Sus Chords

Start by getting clear on what a sus chord actually is. These chords can feel confusing at first, especially if you’re expecting a typical dominant sound. The key is understanding that sus chords aren’t restrictive, they open up multiple harmonic possibilities. Learning how these chords are constructed and what makes them tick will give you more options and remove the uncertainty about what will sound right.

FREE Mastering Sus Chords: Adding Options to Your Arsenal Mastering Sus Chords: Adding Options to Your Arsenal

Step 2: Internalize the Form and Develop Solo Concepts on Maiden Voyage

In this lesson, you'll get all the tools you need to understand, hear, and play Maiden Voyage. We’ll start out by getting into the chord progression and the form. Then we’ll give you even more on Sus chords. After that, we’ll take a look at the voicings Herbie Hancock uses on these Sus chords along with the rhythm. And then, we’ll deconstruct Bobby Hutcherson’s solo, detailing a bunch of soloing tactics that you can start using today.

PRO Master Maiden Voyage – Bobby Hutcherson’s Perfect Solo Master Maiden Voyage – Bobby Hutcherson’s Perfect Solo

Step 3: Learn to Create Motion Over Static Dominant Sus Chords

Finally, focus on creating motion over long stretches of a static dominant sus sound. In this step, you'll learn exactly how one of the true giants of this music, Chick Corea, deals with this problem. Like many iconic players, he’s mastered the ins and outs of the art from, and this makes him an amazing resource for building a vocabulary over this particular harmonic situation.

PRO Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques

Videos

Videos: Maiden Voyage

How to Play Maiden Voyage

Step 1: Unlock the Harmonic Flexibility of Sus Chords

Start by getting clear on what a sus chord actually is. These chords can feel confusing at first, especially if you’re expecting a typical dominant sound. The key is understanding that sus chords aren’t restrictive, they open up multiple harmonic possibilities. Learning how these chords are constructed and what makes them tick will give you more options and remove the uncertainty about what will sound right.

FREE Mastering Sus Chords: Adding Options to Your Arsenal Mastering Sus Chords: Adding Options to Your Arsenal

Step 2: Internalize the Form and Develop Solo Concepts on Maiden Voyage

In this lesson, you'll get all the tools you need to understand, hear, and play Maiden Voyage. We’ll start out by getting into the chord progression and the form. Then we’ll give you even more on Sus chords. After that, we’ll take a look at the voicings Herbie Hancock uses on these Sus chords along with the rhythm. And then, we’ll deconstruct Bobby Hutcherson’s solo, detailing a bunch of soloing tactics that you can start using today.

PRO Master Maiden Voyage – Bobby Hutcherson’s Perfect Solo Master Maiden Voyage – Bobby Hutcherson’s Perfect Solo

Step 3: Learn to Create Motion Over Static Dominant Sus Chords

Finally, focus on creating motion over long stretches of a static dominant sus sound. In this step, you'll learn exactly how one of the true giants of this music, Chick Corea, deals with this problem. Like many iconic players, he’s mastered the ins and outs of the art from, and this makes him an amazing resource for building a vocabulary over this particular harmonic situation.

PRO Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques

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Eric O'Donnell

We’re Forrest & Eric. We’ve learned from a ton of great players like Mulgrew Miller, Rich Perry, and Harold Mabern, and now we focus on helping musicians deeply understand jazz, one tune, concept, and skill at a time.

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