let me know if this is helpful (7th chord arpeggio trick)

[acosmicmessenger]

Hey guys... i'm a lurker on these forums and i just wanted your opinion on something. this may very well be common knowledge, but i came across this while practicing, and was surprised about how easy it was. The basic idea is that you take ANY 7th chord (maj, dom, minor, dim, half dim, etc.) and play exactly two notes per string. The result is a VERY simple repeating pattern, and seems that it would be very handy to use to change positions on the fretboard.

Amaj7 (A Major 7):
TAB:
----------------------------9-12-----------------
----------------------9-10-----------------------
-----------------6-9-----------------------------
------------6-7----------------------------------
-------4-7---------------------------------------
--4-5--------------------------------------------

Fretboard view with the fingerings i use:
 1   3   5   7   9    12
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|-|-|1|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|
|-|-|-|1|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|

as you can see, it is VERY simple (index, middle, index, pinky, 
index, middle, index, pinky, etc), which is what is so cool.  
Even better is when you apply it to a seven-string (how i 
originally came across this), you can over 3 whole octaves.

as if it could get any better, it is just as easy with any other 
kind of seventh chord:

A7 (A dominant 7):
-------------------------------9-12------
-------------------------8-10------------
--------------------6-9------------------
---------------5-7-----------------------
----------4-7----------------------------
-----3-5---------------------------------

 1   3   5   7   9    12
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

=======================================

a7 (A minor 7):
-------------------------------8-12------
-------------------------8-10------------
--------------------5-9------------------
---------------5-7-----------------------
----------3-7----------------------------
-----3-5---------------------------------

 1   3   5   7   9    12
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|-|4|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

====================================

a half dim 7:
-------------------------------8-11------
-------------------------8-10------------
--------------------5-8------------------
---------------5-7-----------------------
----------3-6----------------------------
-----3-5---------------------------------

 1   3   5   7   9    12
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|3|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

===================================

a dim (A fully diminished 7)
-------------------------------8-11------
-------------------------7-10------------
--------------------5-8------------------
---------------4-7-----------------------
----------3-6----------------------------
-----2-5---------------------------------

 1   3   5   7   9    12
|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-
|-|1|-|-|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

the other thing about it is that it applies to the WHOLE 
fretboard, no matter where you are.  if you find your 
index finger on the seventh of a chord (or any other 
finger on any of the corresponding chord tones), you 
can easily bust into any of these arpeggios... going up 
or down. hell, don't go anywhere if you don't want to.

anyways, i hope this isn't completely redundant to the more experienced players out there. I found it very cool and helpful, and i think players of all levels can benefit from it.

Thanks for checking this out!

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: let me know if this is helpful (7th chord arpeggio trick)

Yeah, it's really great, thanks!

My teacher showed me this some weeks ago..people like Birelli Lagrene who got the gypsy jazz thing cooking are using this stuff a lot. It's easier to play, you can play it faster and it sounds good

I've copied the quote thing you've posted and will try new stuff..need new input for my playing

 

[acosmicmessenger]

Re: let me know if this is helpful (7th chord arpeggio trick)

cool... glad someone could make sense out of it.

Is that Scott Henderson in your avatar? Coincidentally, i was running through a few things from his "Jazz-Rock mastery" dvd when i discovered this. You might want to check it out, if this stuff is up your alley.

Oh, and the only reason i put the tabs and stuff inside the "code" field is because the font in it formats easier... makes it easier to write out tabs and diagrams because all of the characters take the same amount of space.

 

[StrangeSound]

Re: let me know if this is helpful (7th chord arpeggio trick)

Haha, yeah it's Scott

I've got his "Melodic Control" instruction video but I couldn't find the one you've mentioned. I heared it's good stuff.

Cheers!