Arpeggio Exercises

**the*doctor** · 11-26-2011, 06:54 AM

Hi,
I'm just looking for some interesting exercises to use when practicing and learning arpeggio patterns.

Something different from the up down up down sequence...

Thanks

**Shadow of the Sun** · 11-26-2011, 08:51 AM

Are you playing fingerstyle or with a pick?

If you're playing fingerstyle, taking any six string arpeggio and using Guiliani's 120 Right Hand Patterns will do wonders.

**the*doctor** · 11-26-2011, 08:47 PM

I'm using a pick.

**JohnW400** · 11-26-2011, 11:42 PM

If theyre two octave arps try breaking up directon.

ex.

Down up on Cm7 = B G E C (octave 1) C E G B (octave 2)

or backwards retrograding :

BC GB EG CE BC GB EG C

or backward in "triad" :

GEC BGE CBG ECB GEC etc

Let me know if you want more.

Nuff Said · 11-27-2011, 12:20 PM

I like practising upper structure triads, I feel they have that Jazz sound.
(I think of triads as smaller pieces of the arps.)

The info is all here on JazzGuitar site:
Free Jazz Guitar Lessons : Upper Structure Triads

Nuff Said

**the*doctor** · 11-28-2011, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by JohnW400

If theyre two octave arps try breaking up directon.

ex.

Down up on Cm7 = B G E C (octave 1) C E G B (octave 2)

or backwards retrograding :

BC GB EG CE BC GB EG C

or backward in "triad" :

GEC BGE CBG ECB GEC etc

Let me know if you want more.

Thanks,
these are good

If you wouldn't mind, more would be great or if you know of one a link to a website.

Thanks 'nuff said' that was an interesting article, cheers.

**JohnW400** · 11-28-2011, 10:27 AM

Ok, you asked.

1) Do them as interval studies. single note and double stops

3rds/2nds
5/4ths
7/6ths
octaves

2) "mirror" over C pedal. C in the middle

C-E up, C-B down
C-G up, C-G down
C-B up, C-E down
C-C up , C-C down.

I'll post more later

**JohnW400** · 11-28-2011, 11:13 AM

One more you might want to do is inversions off of a static bass

Cma7
Ab ma7/C
Fma7/C
Dbma7/C

And the big 13th

1 3 5 7 9 11 13

C E G B D F A (C)

And finally static bass

CE CG CB CC CE CG CB CC
1,3 1,5 1,7 1,8 1,10 etc

and of course retrograde

Nuff Said · 11-28-2011, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by the*doctor

Thanks 'nuff said' that was an interesting article, cheers.

Doc, look at the table of upper extensions, scroll down to the table at the bottom of this page.
Free Jazz Guitar Lessons : Upper Structure Triads

Upper extensions are where a lot of the Jazz sound comes from.

Over Majors play:
5th 7th 9th
9th #11th 6th
7th 9th #11th

Nuff

**the*doctor** · 11-28-2011, 03:14 PM

Thanks for the replies, I reckon I have plenty to work on now.

Cheers

**mr. beaumont** · 11-28-2011, 03:48 PM

Since this is a jazz board, apply them to a song and make the changes...find a tune with one chord to the bar, and play quarter notes up for the first chord, then down for the second, then up for the third, etc...

Then switch to 8ths.

You can also run backward through the key cycle this way, playing minor7, dominant7, maj7, then minor7 from the same root of the maj7 you ended on, then continuing the cycle...

So Fm7-Bb7-Ebmaj7-Ebm7-Ab7-Dbmaj7-Dbm7 etc...

I like to practice everything in somewhat practical situations...

**jmstritt** · 11-28-2011, 04:26 PM

One of the best things that you can work on is what Joe Elliot calls the connecting game. Take a chord progression and arpeggiate it play in eighth notes and whenever the chord changes go to the next available chord tone of that chord.

ii V I to F

G Bb D F -E G Bb C- A F E C- Bb G Bb D- C Bb G Bb- A C E F, etc.

Then substitube up a diatonic third to give yourself the same arpeggio but 3-9 instead of R-7. (G-7, C7, Fmaj7 becomes Bbmaj7 (Gmin9) E-7b5(C9) Amin7 (Fmaj9))

Bb D F A- G Bb D E- C E G A- Bb A D F- E D Bb G- C E G A, etc

Once you have that you can start adding in notes to alter the V7. So instead of playing an E-7b5 you can play an Edim7, etc.

The cool thing is that this gives you instant recall of where all the chord tones are in a tune when you are playing it.

**mr. beaumont** · 11-28-2011, 05:28 PM

Yeah, now we're talking! That's a great exercise...gotta try that one.

**brwnhornet59** · 11-28-2011, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

Yeah, now we're talking! That's a great exercise...gotta try that one.

Plus 1 to that!

**onetruevibe** · 01-10-2012, 08:20 PM

Uber-Noob here, so take it for what it's worth. I didn't follow any prescription, just what I thought would work for me...starting from square one:

I began playing a maj7, min7, dom7 progression using sixth-string root arps for all the chords.

Once I was smooth with that, I did the fifth-string root arps for all chords.

Next, I switched between sixth and fifth-string arps without any pattern, just trying to choose the shape that required the least amount of movement.

Right now, I'm trying to link them all together smoothly by landing on chord tones and playing with music.

Down the road, I'm planning on:
1. Using Frank Vignola's 50 Licks a Jazz Guitarist Must Know to get some stuff to fall back on when I get lost.
2. Moving on to the min7b5 and dim7 arpeggios.
3. Working on alternating between modes and arpeggios and common licks.

Anyway, not sure if this will be helpful to anyone, but it was very therapeutic for me...confirming that there is a method to my madness.

Recommendations on how to improve (or keep me from hurting myself) are always welcome!

Brian

**Bloomfield89** · 01-23-2012, 11:15 AM

Originally Posted by jmstritt

Then substitube up a diatonic third to give yourself the same arpeggio but 3-9 instead of R-7. (G-7, C7, Fmaj7 becomes Bbmaj7 (Gmin9) E-7b5(C9) Amin7 (Fmaj9))

Bb D F A- G Bb D E- C E G A- Bb A D F- E D Bb G- C E G A, etc

Once you have that you can start adding in notes to alter the V7. So instead of playing an E-7b5 you can play an Edim7, etc.

The cool thing is that this gives you instant recall of where all the chord tones are in a tune when you are playing it.

Hi jmstritt

I've been trying what you suggested for the 3-9 chords but in the R-7way(Bbmaj7 E-7b5 Amin7). Really fun and found it to have the charlie parkerish sound. I'm pretty okay with arpeggios, just gotta get the switching between arpeggios thing burned in. Sometimes it takes too much time for me to think to connect the ii-V-I s smoothly.

Anyway, I was wondering if we have to play it not strictly, but more often than not in one octave? I realized that if i extend the arpeggio to more than one octave(if i play the most of the arpeggio shape) it sounds slightly awkward. Also it seems to sound best if i start on the the root(or 3rd of the chord using the 3-9 way)

So i was just thinking if my observations were correct. 1.Play within one octave 2. Play beginning on the 3rd(3-9 Way). I seem to sound more musical in this manner compared to breaking the octave and starting on other chord tones of the 3-9(for e.g. if i start on the 9)

p.s. im trying to learn how to do the charlie parker thing. If this helps in your judgement of what i should do.