One of the keys to comping easily and effectively on guitar is being able to use the same chord voicing for many different chord types. This helps to facilitate playing chords in the same area of the neck, and provides more options for voice leading through chord progressions.

The concept of multi-use voicings is in contrast to what guitarists typically learn first—that one combination of strings, fingers and frets equals one chord type or voicing. For CMaj we play “X” and for A-7 we play “XX”, when in fact, many voicings for these chords are interchangeable.

Multi-use voicings have three distinct advantages: 1) it is easier to learn one voicing than twenty; 2) it makes relationships between chord types evident; and 3) it takes advantage of the ease with which guitarists can play parallel chord voicings.

With multi-use voicings, various elements of basic chord sound will not be present in some voicings, which can be advantageous when striving for a more modern sound. This facilitates a broader concept of chord construction—very useful given the limited number of voices available to the guitarist. Strong voice leading and the harmonic context usually resolve any ambiguity resulting from “missing” chord tones.

This section illustrates five chord voicings that can be played for many different chord types, and are easy to grab, move and remember. This concept can then be applied to other voicings as well.