This study takes Sonny Rollins’ classic “Doxy” and maps the entire chord progression with shell voicings — lean, three-note grips built from the root, 3rd, and 7th. The embedded workbook walks through the changes in low and high positions, plus the common variation that uses the Edim7 passing chord, showing exactly how the guide tones connect one chord to the next. You’ll learn to play the whole form smoothly using minimal hand movement and clean voice leading.
What You’ll Work On: How to build and finger shell voicings on the 5th- and 6th-string roots, why the 3rd and 7th (the “guide tones”) define each chord’s sound, and how to voice-lead through the Doxy changes — letting common tones stay put while nearby tones move by half or whole step. You’ll also explore the same progression in multiple neck positions and learn how the Edim7 passing chord connects Eb7 to F7.
Practice Tips: Start slow and out of time: play each chord, name its root, 3rd, and 7th aloud, then find the next chord by moving only the notes that must change. Add a metronome at a relaxed tempo, one chord per bar, switching on beat one. Drill the trickiest links — the falling dominants D7–G7–C7–F7 and the Eb7–Edim7–F7 passing move — in isolation, and practice the form in both low and high positions. If you can hum the guide-tone lines, your hands will follow.
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