The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1

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    What arpeggios do you use to improvise over altered chords?

    So far, I've been using (over G7):

    • Abdim7
    • Abm(add 9)
    • Gaug


    What are some other common options?

  2.  

    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Too many. Db, Db7, F+, F+Maj7, CSUS, Absus, D7 etc.


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  4. #3

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    What matters more is where G7 is going. Cm, Cm7, CMaj, CMaj7+11, Ab - another chord type?

  5. #4

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    If it’s a functioning G7, then you can play anything.
    If it’s a non functioning G7, then you can play anything.
    How you choose to resolve functioning and non functioning anything, is where the art is.

  6. #5
    It's really helpful to learn melodic minor arpeggios. They are mostly diatonic-type chords , just "from a different key " if you're thinking G7.

    G altered = Ab melodic minor

    So, there's:
    Abm(maj7) [ the only non-major-diatonic-type in this set)
    Fm7b5
    Db7

    That's really basic, vanilla application. it's handy to also learn the other scales degrees and eventually full 13ths for each scale degree, but you have to be somewhat organized and approach to not waste hours and years of your life.

    Long-term, you really need to do the same for harmonic minor. It's super important for understanding basic music theory which most "altered" chords are based on. You learn basic simple lessons, like the fact that you can play natural five against 7#5 chords most of the time (because they're really b13 chords in disguise 90% of the time).

    Knowing some piano helps with a lot of this. But we mostly need piano as guitarists, BECAUSE we don't have a good organized approach to fretboard in the first place. Reg's approach, found in some old threads here, are very helpful if you want to go next-level of understanding the fretboard.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by K-Tar
    What arpeggios do you use to improvise over altered chords?

    So far, I've been using (over G7):

    • Abdim7
    • Abm(add 9)
    • Gaug


    What are some other common options?
    Abm add 9 is good because it's b9 3 b13 and #9. So that will work well for an alt sound because guitarists often play it as a b13 with an altered 9th.

    So, you could try every other minor triad and you'd find some that work.

    Am9 is 9 11 13 3. You have to be careful with the 11, but it will generally sound consonant.

    Bbm is #9 #11 7.

    Bm has an F#, so it's not an easy triad to use against G7.

    Cm has the 11 again, but also b13 and root.

    Dbm is another good one with #11 6 b9.

    And so on.

    Anyway, the way to figure this stuff out is to create a backing track of ii V I's and try them all against the V chord one at a time.
    Then try major, dim and aug.

    Couple hours.

    Another way to think about it ...

    For a dominant chord, you have options. Both alterations of the fifth, both alterations of the ninth. Use the fourth or not. Use the 6 or not.

    So, there are a lot of possible combinations. I'd suggest starting by learning to hear the altered ninths. Then learn to hear the #5 with the #9. Then the #11. Then #11 and b9.
    Last edited by rpjazzguitar; 07-21-2020 at 03:35 PM.

  8. #7

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    It's also fun to practice groups of arpeggios. Like Eb7 and Db7 (or just the triad versions), G-7b5 and F-7b5, Gaug7 and Db7.