Piano Technique: Spacing chords using Open Voicing

When the notes of a chord are played as close as possible, the chord is played in a Closed Position. This is the case when playing inversions. In Open Voicing, the chord notes are spread out across multiple octaves. To facilitate this, the chord notes are spread across both the right and left hands.

Open voicing is explained in great details in Chapter 23 - The Open Voicing Arrangement - of Cannel's book. The concept is also explained in Chapter 9 - "Spacing" the Chord - in 'How To Play From A Fake Book' by Michale Esterowitz.

Simple Open Voicing

Basically, in the simplest version of Open Voicing is the 10th chord spread across both the hands. Left hand plays the root note and the fifth where as the right hand playes the third and the melody note (where melody note is the top most note). This arrangement is played in the center of the Piano and that too on the adjacent Octaves.