Superimposed Maj7b5 Arpeggios BY PINO MARRONE IT’S A CHALLENGE TOCREATE IMPRO-
enhancing lines is to superimpose arpeggios vised melodies that outline a tune’s chord struc- onto the fundamental harmony. The idea is to ture. One way to sketch harmony is to “spell out”extend a four-note chord using tones outside chords using arpeggios. If you started playing of its 1, 3, 5, and 7 formula. You can get very colguitar by jamming over rock and blues vamps orful results by enhancing different chord types as I did, you may find that it takes time to inwith superimposed maj7b5 arpeggios (1, 3,b5, ternalize these vertical sounds and shapes. Fur- 7). Let’s examine the process. Ex. 1ashows the four notes of anFmaj7b5 thermore, it’s often difficult to create interesting sounds beyond basic four-note, seventh-chord arpeggio— F, A, Cb, E. E x. 1b shows a threeformulas. octave, Fmaj7b5 arpeggio pattern that has its Superimpositions.A potent technique for root on the sixth string. This layout yields a smooth, legato sound. Ex. 1c shows another Fmaj7b5 arpeggio pattern. In this two-octave fingering, the root is on the fifth string. Ex. 1a Charting your cours e. Take a look at the Fmaj7 5 chart on p. 131. It shows what kind of chord Take Dm7 (D, F, A, C ): The b3 is F, which types you can enhance with a maj7 b5 arpeggio, means the maj7b5 arpeggio isFmaj7b5. Or how which chord tone to launch the arpeggio from, about Am7 ? Its b3 is C, so you’d arpeggiate a 1 1 and which extensions get emphasized in the Cmaj7b5. Whatever chord you start with, arpeg4 1
T A B
process. For example, to superimpose a maj7 b5 arpeggio on a minor-7th chordb(1, 3, 5,b7), start the arpeggio from the b3.
2 2 1
giating a maj7 b5 from theb3 will emphasize two extensions—the 6 and 9. Play on.The best way to understand any
5
44
4 4
Ex. 1b
Ex. 1c
4
Fmaj7 5
1
4
1
3
3
2
1
2
4
1
Fmaj7 5
1
3
1
4
1
5 5
T A B
7
7
121 3
6
3
7
2 1
12
13
10
T A B
4 2
9 7
10
9
8
5
4 4
Ex. 2
Dm7
G7
(Fmaj75)
Cmaj7
(Bmaj75)
3
3
1
4
A7
(Cmaj75)
3
3
1
4
(C maj7 5)
4
3
3
1
2
4
1
4
1
3
3
1
1
2
1
3
1
3
2
4
3
2
2
1
3
3
5
1
1
5
T A B
3
3
7
2
1
6
2
4
4
2
1
2
7
3
5
4
4
3
3
8
6
5
5
6
4
5
1 3 0 GUITAR PLAYER MARCH 2000
www.guitarpla yer.com
PHOTO: CECILIA MOLINARI
substitution is to work it out on your fretFor example, against Dm7, Cb is now spelled pressive. Often these fingerings will bevery board.Ex. 2follows the principles described B—it’s the same note, but easier to read.) different from those in typical guitar methods. in the chart. For clarity, we’ll begin with chord The two ringing phrases in Ex. 4 offers To further explore these andother related types described in the chart and run straight more substitutions: concepts, search out Joe Diorio’s landmark arpeggios. Here are the details: • In bar 1, start on Dm7b5’s b5 to generate 21st Century Intervallic Designs . This book • In bar 1, start onDm7’s b3 to generate a two-octave Abmaj7b5 arpeggio. contains enough thought-provoking ideas a two-octave Fmaj7b5 arpeggio. • In bar 2, start on G7alt’s 3 and arpeggiate to last several lifetimes. g • In bar 2, start onG7’s 3 (the launching Bmaj7b5. point for altered dominant sounds) and • In bars 3 and 4, approach Cm6 the same A Ted Greene alumnus, Pino Marrone has arpeggiate Bmaj7b5. way you’d approach Cm7: Start on theb3 to also studied and performed extensively with • In bar 3, start on Cmaj7 ’s root and generate an Ebmaj7b5 arpeggio. Joe Diorio. A former instructor at G.I.T. and arpeggiate Cmaj7b5. A word about phrasing. As you develop Grove School of Music, Marrone has played • In bar 4, start onA7 ’s 3 and arpeggiate your own maj7b5 phrases, look for fingerings and recorded with Joe Farrell, Alphonso JohnC#maj7b5. (Again, this creates an altered that allow each line to sound musical and ex- son, Kenny Kirkland, Dianne Reeves, Abradominant sound.) Okay so far? Substitutions can be tricky, so take this material one step at a time and TARGET CHORD TYPE:START ARPEGGIO ON:EXAMPLE: EXTENSIONS: review often. Turning concept s into music.In Examples 3a and 3b, we put Ex. 2’s maj7 b5 arpeggios to work. Both four-bar lines are built from the two-octave patterns we just played. (To keep the lines flowing smoothly on t he page, a few notes are spelled enharmonically.
minor 7
b3
Dm7 = Fmaj7b5
6, 9
dominant 7
b7
G7 = Fmaj7b5
9, 13
altered dom7
G7alt = Bmaj7b5
#5, #9
Cmaj7 = Cmaj7b5
b5 (or #11)
Em7b5 = Bbmaj7b5
11
3
major 7
root
minor7b5
b5
Ex. 3a
Dm7
Swing feel
G7alt
Cmaj7
A7
Dm7
= 95
4
1
4
3
3
3
3
1
4
1
1
3
3
1
2
3
3
1
1
2
etc.
1 T A B
1
5 2
4
4
2
2
72
8
3
4
2
4
3
6
4
6
5
3
5
3
2 4
Ex. 3b
Swing feel
Dm7
G7alt
Cmaj7
A7
Dm7
= 95
4
4
4
1
3
1
3
3
1
1
1
1
3
3
1
2
2
3
2
2
3
3
2
1
3
3
3
1
etc.
12
7
7 12 10
T A B
11
6
10 10 9
6
6
6
10
6 8
7
8 13 13 7
8
8
8 9
8
10 10 9
9
10
9
11
4 4
Ex. 4
= 125
Dm7 5
G7alt
(Amaj75)
(Bmaj75)
Cm6
(Emaj75)
1
1
1
1
2 3
3
1
2
2
3
3
1 2
2
3
3
2
2
1
3
T A B
3
3
6
3
5
6
6
5 6
10
6
8 6 5
10
8 9
“To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection.”
9
8
—John Abercrombie, Nov. ’86 GP
10 10 12 13121312 12
2
12 13
10 1210 1110
MARCH 2000 GUITAR PLAYER
131
