SOLOING With Arpeggios

INTRODUCTION This series of books are for the student who desires to become a creative musician through the study of improvisation. Each book deals with a specific scale, or a specific chord progression. Scale application is at the heart of improvisation.

There are countless guitar players who only know one scale, the minor pentatonic. Every solo they play has the same sound. This of course will result when only one scale is used to the total exclusion of all others. Each scale creates its own unique tonality or colour. Application of all scales is vital to the art of improvisation, and it is that which defines a creative musician.

This series of books teaches you several fingerings of each scale, and how to link them, so that when soloing you're able to move seamlessly from one position to the next. The most important and least understood aspect covered by these books is the application of the scales. This entails knowing over which chords the scales can be used.

This particular text deals with arpeggios. Along with exercises to develop them, there are licks which you can insert into your own solos. There's an in depth discussion of their application over chord progessions, and how to superimpose them over different chords, and use them over major and minor key II - V - I and turnarounds. Audio files along with backing tracks for you to play along to are included. Tab is supplied along with music notation.

TUNING NOTES To be sure that you're in tune with the backing tracks, tune your guitar to track one.

This text was written by Joe Willis, a professional session guitarist of many years experience at the cutting edge of the music business. He has played and worked with many of the biggest names in the world of music including, Tom Jones, Ray Charles, Cilla Black, Lulu, Dusty Springfield, Rick Wakeman, Englebert Humperdink, The Everly Bros, Irene Cara, and jazz icons, Kurt Edelhagen, Jan Luc Ponty, Attila Zoller, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz, Art Farmer, Michel Colombier to name just a few.

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CONTENTS

Page

Audio Track

Introduction and Tuning Notes.......................................................................................

2 1 Chapter 1

Major Scale Forms............................................................................................7 Forms 1 through 7...............................................................................................7 Dominant Seventh Arpeggios........................................................................7 Forms 1 & 2.......................................................................................................7 Forms 3 through 7...............................................................................................8 Dominant Seventh Arpeggios Exercises....................................................9 Examples 1.1 1.2...............................................................................................9.................2 .................2 Examples 1.3 1.4...............................................................................................10 2 Examples 1.5 through 1.7...................................................................................11................. .................2 Example 1.8........................................................................................................12 Example 1.9........................................................................................................12................3 Example 1.11......................................................................................................14...............3 Example 1.12......................................................................................................15...............3

Chapter 2

Arpeggiating The Blues Progression ................................................................17 Example 2.1........................................................................................................17 Example 2.2........................................................................................................18 Example 2.3........................................................................................................19................4 Arpeggio Blues 1................................................................................................28................5 Arpeggio blues 1 analysis...................................................................................30 Arpeggio Blues 2.................................................................................................31................6 Arpeggio blues 2 analysis...................................................................................32

Chapter 3

Major Seventh Arpeggios ..................................................................................33 Forms 1 through 4...............................................................................................33 Forms 5 through 7..............................................................................................34 Practising major seventh arpeggios....................................................................35 Example 3.1........................................................................................................35...............7 Minor Seventh Arpeggios...............................................................................38 Forms 1 through 4...............................................................................................38 Forms 5 through 7...............................................................................................39 Practising minor seventh arpeggios....................................................................39 Example 3.2 .......................................................................................................40...............8 Minor Seventh b5 Arpeggios............................................................................42 Forms 1 & 2.......................................................................................................42 Forms 3 through 7................................................................................................43

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Page

Audio Track

Practising minor seventh b5 arpeggios................................................................44 Example 3.3........................................................................................................44...............9 Chapter 4

Major Scale Harmony......................................................................................46 Diatonic chords...................................................................................................46 Example 4.1........................................................................................................46 Diatonic triads......................................................................................................47 Example 4.2.......................................................................................................47 Diatonic seventh chords.......................................................................................47 Example 4.3........................................................................................................47 Example 4.4........................................................................................................48 Major Scale Arpeggios Over Scale Forms.................................................48 Examples 4.5 4.6................................................................................................48...............10 Examples 4.7 4.8................................................................................................49................10 Example 4.9........................................................................................................50...............10 Examples 4.10 through 4.12...............................................................................50...............11 Example 4.13......................................................................................................51...............11 Examples 4.14 4.15............................................................................................51................12 Example 4.16......................................................................................................52...............12 Diatonic Chord Progression (Major Key)................................................53 V - I.....................................................................................................................53 Example 4.17......................................................................................................53 IIm7 - V7............................................................................................................54 Examples 4.18 through 4.20...............................................................................54 IIm7 - V7 - I........................................................................................................54 Example 4.21......................................................................................................54 Example 4.22.....................................................................................................55 Arpeggios Over II - V - ...................................................................................

I 55 Examples 4.23 4.24............................................................................................55...............13 Example 4.25......................................................................................................56................13 Example 4.26......................................................................................................57...............13

Chapter 5

Arpeggios Over Chord Progressions..........................................................60 Example 5.1.......................................................................................................60...............14 Example 5.2........................................................................................................61 Superimposing Major Scale Arpeggios .....................................................62 Example 5.3........................................................................................................62 Examples 5.4 through 5.6...................................................................................63...............15 Example 5.7.........................................................................................................64................15 Superimposing Arpeggios Over Major II - V - I.....................................65 Examples 5.8 5.9................................................................................................65................15 Examples 5.10 through 5.13...............................................................................66...............15

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Page The Harmonic Minor Scale............................................................................67 Examples 5.14 5.15............................................................................................67 Examples 5.16 5.19............................................................................................68 Minor Key Cadence..........................................................................................69 Example 5.20......................................................................................................69 V7 - Im...................................................................................................................69 Example 5.21......................................................................................................69

Audio Track

IIm7 b5 - V7 - Im..................................................................................................70 Example 5.22......................................................................................................70

Chapter 6

Harmonic Minor Arpeggios...........................................................................70 Harmonic minor scale forms 1 through 5 .........................................................70 Examples 6.1 6.2................................................................................................71 Minor (maj7) Arpeggios...................................................................................71 Forms 1 & 2......................................................................................................71 Forms 3 through 5...............................................................................................72 Prctising minor(maj7) arpeggios........................................................................72 Major Seventh #5 Arpeggios...........................................................................73 Forms 1 through 4...............................................................................................73 Form 5.................................................................................................................74 Practising Maj7 #5 arpeggios................................................................................74 Diminished Arpeggios......................................................................................74 Forms 1 & 2.......................................................................................................74 Forms 3 through 5..............................................................................................75 Practising diminished arpeggios..........................................................................75 Harmonic Minor Arpeggios Over Scale Forms......................................76 Examples 6.3 6.4................................................................................................76 Examples 6.5 6.6................................................................................................77...............16 Example 6.7.........................................................................................................78................16 Example 6.8........................................................................................................79................16 Example 6.9........................................................................................................80...............17 Examples 6.10 6.11............................................................................................81...............17

Chapter 7

Minor II - V - I Arpeggios...............................................................................82 Examples 7.1 7.2................................................................................................82 Examples 7.3 through 7.6...................................................................................83 Example 7.7.........................................................................................................84...............18 Superimposing Harmonic Minor Arpeggios............................................87 Example 7.8........................................................................................................87

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Audio Page Track Example 7.9........................................................................................................88 Examples 7.10 through 7.12...............................................................................88................19 Superimposing Arpeggios Over Minor II - V - I....................................90 Examples 7.13 through 7.15...............................................................................90...............19 Examples 7.16 through 7.18...............................................................................91..................

19 Chapter 8

The Melodic Minor Scale................................................................................92 Examples 8.1 through 8.3...................................................................................92 Examples 8.4 through 8.6...................................................................................93 Melodic Minor Arpeggios Over Scale Forms..........................................93 Scale forms 1 through 5......................................................................................93 Examples 8.7 through 8.8...................................................................................94...............20 Example 8.9........................................................................................................95...............20 Examples 8.10 8.11............................................................................................96...............20 Examples 8.12 8.13...........................................................................................98...............21 Example 8.14......................................................................................................99...............21 Superimposing Melodic Minor Arpeggios................................................99 Examples 8.15 through 8.16...............................................................................100 Examples 8.17 through 8.18...............................................................................100 ...............22 Example 8.19.......................................................................................................101.............22 Melodic Minor Arpeggios Over IV7............................................................102 Examples 8.20 8.21............................................................................................102.............22 Examples 8.22 through 8.25...............................................................................103.............22

Chapter 9

Arpeggios Over The Turnaround................................................................104 Examples 9.1 9.2................................................................................................104.............23 Example 9.3.........................................................................................................105............23 Superimposing Arpeggios Part Two............................................................106 Major 7th Chords..............................................................................................106 Minor 7th Chords..............................................................................................108 Minor 7 b5 Chords...............................................................................................108 Dominant 7th Chords.......................................................................................109 Altered Dominant Chords...............................................................................110 Arpeggios In A Solo...........................................................................................111 You And I..............................................................................................................112.............24 You And I analysis....................................................................................................116 Coda........................................................................................................................117

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CHAPTER ONE

WHAT IS AN ARPEGGIO?

An arpeggio is the result when the notes of a chord are played individually rather than simultaneously. Arpeggios can be applied to an improvised solo or be used to provide a background to a melody that is performed by another instrument or vocalist. In each of these applications the technique is completely different. The technique when used as a background is to hold the chord down and pick each string individually and allow them to sustain. When used in an improvisation, the notes of the arpeggio are played in the same manner as other notes played in a musical phrase or lick..

Arpeggios are one of the primary devices applied to improvisation. They're used to generate chord sounds within the solo. They're also used for moving quickly from one register to another up or down. There are two approaches when using arpeggios, 1) play the arpeggio of the given chord.

For example, if the chord is G7 play a G7 arpeggio, if the chord is Dm7 play a Dm7 arpeggio etc.

2) superimpose over the given chord an arpeggio different to that of the chord. Of course one must first learn the arpeggios before eithere approach can be applied.

MAJOR SCALE FORMS Arpeggios derived from the major scale are fingered in accordance with the following scale forms. form 1 1fr

form 2 3fr

form 3 5fr

form 4 7fr

form 5 8fr

form 6 10fr

form 7 12fr

DOMINANT SEVENTH ARPEGGIOS A substantial amount of this text deals with the arpeggiation of the four types of chord found in the major scale i.e. major seventh, dominant seventh, minor seventh and minor seventh flat five.

Arpeggiation of chords derived from harmonic and melodic minor scales are also covered. Let us begin with arpeggiation of the dominant seventh chord, which appears once in the major scale on degree V. Here's G7 in its seven forms.

1fr

3fr

Form 1

Form 2

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Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

5fr

7fr

Form 3

Form 4

10fr

8fr

Form 6

form 5

12fr

Form 7

8

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

DOMINANT SEVENTH ARPEGGIO EXERCISES Let us put the dominant seventh arpeggio to work with the following exercises. Apply them to all seven forms. Exercises 1.1 through 1.8 can be played using forms 1 and 2. When applying these exercises to the other 5 forms, start from the lowest note in the form i.e. form 3 G7 starts on the note B. track 2 Ex1.1

While ascending up the fingerboard be aware at all times of exactly which chord you are arpeggiating and be sure to get up to those high positions. Descend in the same way, and use alternate pick strokes. It's important when soloing that you're able to play arpeggios from any one of thier constituent notes. With this in mind the following exercises are given. track 2 Ex1.2

9

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.2 cont'd

track 2

Ex1.3

track 2

Ex1.4

10

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.4 cont'd

Ex1.5

track 2

Ex1.6

track 2

track 2

Ex1.7

11

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.8

track 2

Ex1.9 moves the dominant seventh arpeggio through the cycle of fourths, using all seven forms.

Note the alternative fingering of form 2. track 3

Ex1.9

12

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.9 cont'd

Another good exercise is to play through the cycle and play the arpeggio forms in the following order.

FORM

2

6

3

7

4

1

5, 2

6 3 7

4

1

5, 2

6 3

etc

You may be thinking that Ex1.9 is already using the forms in this order, so what is different ? The difference is, the last bar of Ex1.9 repeats back to form two. Playing the forms in the above order continually, you will slowly descend the fingerboard, whereas Ex1.9 remains around the eighth and seventh positions. You can start with any form as long as it's followed with the next form in the above order, i.e. start with form seven and follow it with form four then one etc. Start quite high with this exercise so that you play all seven forms several times while descending the fingerboard. Be sure you know exactly which chord you are arpeggiating at all times. We'll call this Ex1.10.

13

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

The following exercise plays through the cycle again but, this time from the top of each arpeggio.

As previously stated, it's vital that you're able to play the arpeggio from any note, not only the root. track 3

Ex1.11

14

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.11 cont'd

Also play Ex1.11 in the same manner as Ex1.10 i.e. keep repeating the forms in the same order. track 3

Ex1.12

15

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd

Chapter One

Ex1.12 cont'd

16

Dominant seventh arp's cont'd Ex1.12 cont'd

CHAPTER TWO ARPEGGIATING THE BLUES PROGRESSION Let us now put the dominant seventh arpeggio to work by way of arpeggiating the blues progression.

The best way to start is to play the arpeggios in a continuous quaver rhythm through the progression.

This forces you to connect from one arpeggio into the next. The connection is made by moving onto the nearest note of the following arpeggio above or below, as shown in the following Ex2.1. This results in a smoother connection than that of leaping down or up to the root. Once again, use alternate pick strokes.

Ex2.1

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