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Four-Note Chord Arpeggios

A thorough command of arpeggios is a necessity for improvising jazz lines on any instrument. Here are the patterns I've worked out so far for sixth and seventh chords.

Page Contents

  1. Arpeggio Positions
    1. Major 7th
    2. Major 6th
    3. Dominant 7th
    4. Minor 7th
    5. Minor 6th
    6. Minor 7b5

Arpeggio Positions

Major 7th

E Form

1+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
2+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
3+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
6+------+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+

A Form

1+--R2--+------+------+------+                           
2+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
3+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+                           
4+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
5+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+                           
6+------+--R2--+------+------+

D Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+                           
3+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
4+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+                           
5+------+--R2--+------+------+                           
6+------+------+------+--R4--+

G Form

1+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
4+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+

C Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+--R1--+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
3+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+-(R4)-+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

Major 6th

E Form

1+-(R1)-+------+------+------+                           
2+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+                           
3+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
4+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+                           
5+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
6+------+-(R2)-+------+------+

A Form

1+--R2--+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
3+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+                           
4+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
5+------+-(R2)-+------+------+                           
6+------+--R2--+------+--R4--+

D Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+                           
3+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
4+------+-(R2)-+------+------+                           
5+------+--R2--+------+--R4--+                           
6+------+------+------+--R4--+

G Form

1+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+--R4--+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+

C Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
3+------+--R1--+------+--R4--+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

Dominant 7th

E Form

1+-(R1)-+------+------+------+--R4--+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+------+------+--R3--+------+------+                    
4+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
5+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
6+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+

A Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+------+------+--R3--+------+------+                    
3+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
4+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
5+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

D Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+------+                    
2+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
3+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
4+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
6+------+------+------+--R3--+------+

G Form

1+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+

C Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+------+-(R2)-+------+------+------+                    
3+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

Minor 7th

( = Major 6th arpeggios starting on a different note)

D Form

1+--R1--+------+------+------+                           
2+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+                           
3+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
4+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                           
5+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
6+------+--R2--+------+------+

G Form

1+--R2--+------+-(R3)-+------+                           
2+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
3+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                           
4+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
5+------+--R2--+------+------+                           
6+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+

C Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                           
3+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
4+------+--R2--+------+------+                           
5+------+--R2--+------+-(R4)-+                           
6+------+------+------+--R4--+

E Form

1+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+

A Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
3+------+--R1--+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

Minor 6th

D Form

1+------+--R1--+------+------+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
3+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
4+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+------+--R2--+------+------+

G Form

1+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
2+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
3+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+------+--R2--+------+------+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+

C Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                           
3+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+                           
4+------+--R2--+------+------+                           
5+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+                           
6+------+------+------+--R4--+

E Form

1+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+------+                    
3+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
4+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+

A Form

1+--R1--+------+--R2--+------+------+                    
2+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
3+--R1--+------+------+-(R4)-+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+--R3--+------+

Minor 7b5

( = Minor 6th arpeggios starting on a different note)

C Form

1+------+--R1--+------+------+------+                    
2+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
3+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+                    
6+------+------+--R2--+------+------+

E Form

1+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
3+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
4+------+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+                    
5+------+------+--R2--+------+------+                    
6+------+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+

A Form

1+------+------+--R3--+------+                           
2+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                           
3+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+                           
4+------+--R2--+------+------+                           
5+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+                           
6+------+------+------+--R4--+

D Form

1+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
2+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+------+                    
3+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
4+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
5+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+

G Form

1+--R1--+------+-(R2)-+------+------+                    
2+------+--R2--+------+------+------+                    
3+-(R1)-+------+------+--R4--+------+                    
4+------+------+------+--R3--+------+                    
5+------+--R1--+------+------+--R4--+                    
6+------+--R1--+------+-(R3)-+------+