Jazz Guitar Arpeggios Positions Part Four: Complete Arps

Jazz Guitar Arpeggios
Positions Part Four: Complete Arps

Arpeggios are commonly used to outline chord changes in jazz improvisation. Jazz guitarists of all
eras used them in their solos as a mean to effectively “run the changes”. In this article series, we will
look into arpeggios derived from previously discussed scale positions. (seven positions of major and
melodic minor)
The arps can be very useful as is and will become a powerful tool that deepens your understanding of
scale positions. If you’re new to position playing, please read the introductory jazz guitar scales article
on positions here.
This effective approach is based on something we already know (positions) … as compared to the usual
learning and memorization of arpeggios in “shapes” on the fretboard.
Arpeggios Part 1: Complete Arps
Arpeggios Part 2: Triads and Seventh Chords
Up to the 13th (aka “complete arp”)
Let’s start with the widest possibility for arpeggios : having seven different notes in the arp. If we started
in G with the “6-2″ position we could play something like this :
The arp contains the notes G B D F# A C E G (in “scale degrees” it means 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 and 1)
In fact this arpeggio contains all the notes present in the scale. That’s why it’s often called “complete”.
It’s the scale played in non-consecutive scale tones.
To clarify: This is the scale on two octaves, and the 13th “complete” arp is bold:
G A B C D E F# G A B C D E F# G
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1
I like to describe this type of arp as “playing the scale, skipping every other note” (or “playing the scale
by third intervals”). By seeing arps like this (as non-consecutive scale tones), learning the proper
scale positions will automatically unlock all the possibilities for arps.
In Every Position
Just to make things more interesting, it is possible to do that for the seven positionsof major and
melodic minor. It takes a bit of work, of course, but it’s well worth the effort! Go ahead and do it. Use
the seven positions to play seven note arps… seven days a week! (just trying some rhymes here!)
Points to keep in mind:
No matter what position, you will be playing all the notes present in the scale (by third intervals).
(1) Make sure that you keep the original fingerings found in positions. Be strict at first, then come up
with your own fingering concepts for playing the 13th arps.
(2) It will be tempting NOT TO stretch the index or pinky. Be careful and make your hand “stay” as much
as possible.
(3) For every position, start on the root and go up as far as possible … then down as far as possible. (aka
“completing the position”)
Some positions have naturally more notes below than above the root. Go as low as possible, no matter
what. Here’s a good example (4-1 in G) :
Go ahead and do it! Just play (!) the 13th arps in the seven positions now (in major, then in melodic
minor). Try it for a while and you’ll notice stuff hapenning in your playing.
Don’t Forget the “Negative”!
And, just to double the amount of stuff you can work on (thus doubling the possibilities when you
improvise) notice that every seven note arp has a “negative”, like photographic film. It is the arpeggios
“on the flip side” so to speak! Here’s what I mean (in G major, “6-2″ position) :
Jazz Guitar Arpeggios
Positions Part Five: Triads and Seventh Chords
Arpeggios are commonly used to outline chord changes in jazz improvisation. Jazz guitarists of all eras
used them in their solos as a mean to effectively “run the changes”.
In this article series, we will look into arpeggios derived from previously discussed scale positions. (seven
positions of major and melodic minor)
The arps can be very useful as is and will become a powerful tool that deepens your understanding of
scale positions.
[If you’re new to position playing, please read the introductory jazz guitar scales article on positions…]
This effective approach is based on something we already know (positions) … as compared to the usual
learning and memorization of arpeggios in “shapes” on the fretboard.
Diatonic Triads
Now’s the time to look at the “smallest” possible arpeggios, triads. They consist of three notes : root,
third and fifth. There’s a triad built on each degree of any scale.
As you will surely notice, the triads are only small segments of the 13th arps we played in the previous
article.
In the key of G major we get :
G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F# dim.
Demonstrated in “6-2″ position here
I encourage you to play them in G melodic minor by yourself (so you can hear and feel the difference).
The triads of G melodic minor are : Gm, Am, Bb augmented, C, D, E dim and F# dim.
Triads are often overlooked by beginning improvisers but they’re still very important. Every good jazz
solo contains triads to a certain extent. Listen to bebop recording and you’ll hear plenty of “disguised”
triads (check out Charlie Parker heads like “Anthropology” and “Ornithology”!)
And, of course, triads are to be applied in the 7 positions of major and melodic minor. By doing so, you
will really start to “feel” the positions and the sounds that can be made with them…
…make sure you keep the right fingerings for each position!
Different Patterns
Don’t forget that other “patterns” are possible for triads. They’re shown above as 1-3-5 in eighth notes…
but this could (and should) be practiced in all kinds of ways such as :
 backwards (5-3-1)
 with different rhythms (use quarter-notes, triplets, etc.)
 skipping and coming back (3-1-5)
 repeating a note (making them 4 notes such as 1-3-5-1)
 in inversions (see below)
Here’s an example of a common pattern in triplets (in G major “6-2″ again). The first triad is played
upward (1-3-5), the second downward (5-3-1) and so on :
Don’t worry about finding ALL the patterns and playing them perfectly. It won’t happen! There’s just too
much stuff out there for us to grasp in our lifetime… you have to choose small amounts material and
work at it.
So, the basic idea is to take a pattern you like and practice the heck out of it (in each position.) You may
work a long time (weeks or even months) on the same pattern. Some positions are more difficult and
may help you improve your technique tremendously.
Diatonic Seventh Chords
The concept we used to get triads can be applied to get 4-note arps in a certain key. It gives us the
diatonic seventh chords.
In the key of G major :
G maj 7, Am7, Bm7, C maj 7, D7, Em7, F# min7 (b5)
Demonstrated in “6-2″:
Play them in G melodic minor by yourself. The seventh chords of G melodic minor are : Gm maj7, Am7,
Bb maj7 (#5), C7, D7, Em7(b5) and F# m7(b5)
Seventh chords arpeggios are also to be applied in the 7 positions of major and melodic minor. Keep the
right fingerings for each position.
The above demonstration uses 8th notes in a ascending way but, of course, other patterns exist. With
four notes, the possibilities for different patterns become scary! Here again, find and stick to something
you like so you can work on it for a while.
By finding out the arps by yourself in each position, you will unlock great fingerings and ideas for
improvisation. You would otherwise have to memorize “shapes” that could turn out to be completely
useless for you.
By going position by position, you will make sense out of the guitar fretboard and understand what
works best for you! Roll up your sleeves and get to work because the process is the reward!
Running Changes
Once you get familiar with diatonic triads and seventh-chord arps in most positions, you can start
applying them to chord progressions. One of my favorite ways is to isolate the II, the V and then the I.
An example. In G major, “6-2″ position:
I find the example above just plain and boring but that is the main concept. You can find different ways
of playing the chords / arps and come up with lines like this one : II V jazz guitar arpeggios
More to do: Extensions and Inversions

Using the concept for triads and seventh chords, you can also build up to “higher” chord tones. How
about 1-3-5-7-9 ? Or even… just 3-5-7-9 ?
If you think about this for a moment, 3-5-7-9 for G major 7 is B-D-F#-A. Those are the
same notes you get from a Bm7 seventh arpeggio…
If you’re on G major 7, you can play on the extensions (3-5-7-9), thus playing Bm7 over G
major 7. This is what Charlie Parker was known to do. He would blow on the extensions
of chord progressions.
Arpeggio inversions are also very common practice in jazz improvisation. I won’t go into
details but it implies to start arps not on the root and play it up or down.
By keeping the same exact notes in the arp, it creates different intervals. (and new
sounds for the very same arpeggio)
Example:
That is something to consider…
Arpeggios Wrap-up
 Triads in positions
 Seventh chords arpeggios in positions
 Running II-V-I changes using arpeggios in positions
 Arps extensions and inversions

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Jazz Guitar Arpeggios Positions Part Four: Complete Arps

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Jazz Guitar Arpeggios

Positions Part Four: Complete Arps

Arpeggios Part 1: Complete Arps

Arpeggios Part 2: Triads and Seventh Chords

Up to the 13th (aka “complete arp”)

More to do: Extensions and Inversions

That is something to consider…

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