Chord Studies

Seventh Chord Arpeggios By Cliff Engel

The study of scales and their related chords is a fundamental process in the development of technique on your instrument and your success as a working bassist within an ensemble. Your knowledge of scales and chords will allow you to evaluate chord charts and understand which notes you have available to play in the construction of bass lines and solos over specific chord types. Beginners often overlook the significance of establishing a broad chordal vocabulary because the utilization of chord tones seems too obvious in order to be effective. As a result of this deficiency, many musicians have a difficult time in outlining basic chord progressions. Practically all of the great improvisers throughout history have exploited chordal arpeggiation in their solos, and some of the greatest bass lines ever recorded make use of nothing more than simple chord tones. Tertian chords or those chords built in thirds are generated by simply playing every other note of a typical seven-note scale such as the major scale or any of its related modes. The most basic chord form in Western harmony is the triad which is a three-note chord constructed using a root note and two consecutive thirds located the intervals of a third and fifth, respectively, above the root note. With the addition of another note placed the interval of a third above the fifth of a basic triad, a four-note seventh chord is formed consisting of the root, third, fifth, and seventh degrees of a scale. Seventh chords are identified by the type of triad contained within the chord along with the quality of the seventh above the root note. For example, a major triad plus a major seventh forms a major seventh chord. There are five primary seventh chords including major 7th, minor 7th, dominant 7th, half-diminished 7th, and diminished 7th. We can then build six additional altered versions of the five primary seventh chords which includes minor-major 7th, dominant 7th with a suspended 4th, major 7th with a raised 5th, major 7th with a lowered 5th, dominant 7th with a raised 5th, and dominant 7th with a lowered 5th. Seventh chords are commonly shortened and referred to by abbreviated names such as Maj7 or m7. In a standard chord chart using the root note C, these 11 fundamental seventh chords would be notated as follows (or using a similar, alternate chord symbol spelling): CMaj7 Cm7 C7 Cm7b5 Cdim7 CmMaj7 C7sus4 CMaj7#5 CMaj7b5 C7#5 C7b5 These basic seventh chords form the foundation of more complex chords that include tensions or upper structures such as 9th's, 11th's, and 13th's.

2007 Cliff Engel

Like intervals and triads, seventh chords can be inverted thus changing their intervallic content and the way they sound, without modifying their spellings. The lowest note of a block chord or the first note of an arpeggio played in an ascending fashion will determine the inversion of the seventh chord. CMaj7 Root Position: C-E-G-B First Inversion: E-G-B-C Second Inversion: G-B-C-E Third Inversion: B-C-E-G Since seventh chords consist of four notes, we can think of them as being four-note cells and designate numbers to represent their scale degrees such as 1-3-5-7. To demonstrate using CMaj7, C = 1, E = 3, G = 5, and B = 7. We can then take these four-note cells and manipulate them into 24 different permutations (1-3-7-5, 1-5-3-7, 1-5-7-3, 1-7-3-5, 1-7-5-3, etc.). Arpeggios are simply broken chords, played one note after the other in succession. By playing every other note of a scale, you will generate the arpeggio for that specific scale. For example, a major 7th arpeggio is related to the Ionian mode (the first mode of the major scale) and the Lydian mode (the fourth mode of the major scale). Both modes have the same chord tones (root, major 3rd, perfect 5th, and major 7th). Using chord/scale theory, you can associate the primary chord types with particular scales. Here is a list of the most common chord types with their related scales: Maj7: Ionian, Lydian, or Major Pentatonic m7: Dorian, Minor Pentatonic, Blues Scale, Aeolian, or Phrygian 7: Mixolydian, Lydian b7, Minor Pentatonic, Blues Scale, or Half-Step/Whole-Step Symmetrical Diminished m7b5: Locrian #2 or Locrian dim7: Whole-Step/Half-Step Symmetrical Diminished mMaj7: Melodic Minor (Jazz Minor or Jazz Minor #4) 7sus4: Mixolydian Maj7#5: Lydian Augmented Maj7b5: Lydian Augmented or Lydian 7#5: Whole Tone or Altered Dominant (Super Locrian) 7b5: Whole Tone, Altered Dominant, Lydian b7, or Half-Step/Whole-Step Symmetrical Diminished Keep in mind that this is by no means an all-inclusive list of the scales musicians can utilize with these chord types, but it is a list including the most favored and closely associated scales with these chord types. Depending on where you shift from one note to the next on a 4-string bass, there are several ways to play a two-octave arpeggio, and you should definitely experiment with as many permutations as possible. For the extended range bassist who plays a 5 or 6-string instrument, these exercises may be played across the fingerboard without the necessary shifting required to play these exercises on a 4-string bass. On a 5 or 6-string bass, these arpeggios can be applied to a three-octave range. It is recommended that you also take these arpeggios and practice them in all of their inversions (CMaj7 - 1st inversion: E-G-B-C, 2nd inversion: G-B-C-E, and 3rd inversion: B-C-E-G).

In terms of real musical application, rarely will an advanced improviser just play ascending or descending arpeggios beginning with the root note of a chord type within the context of a solo. Rather, soloists will manipulate chords using a wide variety of devices. First, phrases are often constructed beginning with a chord tone other than the root note. Second, chordal fragments are generally presented in some kind of inversion. Chord tones may also appear rearranged through octave displacement. Finally, chord tones are often preceded by ornaments such as various approach notes and neighbor tones in an effort to increase the underlying sense of tension and release through the usage of non-diatonic components. These arpeggiated seventh chord exercises will serve several useful purposes. Since these arpeggios consist of only chord tones, they will be great for ear training purposes and helping you to thoroughly internalize the sound of all the primary chord types. Each of these arpeggio-based exercises covers a two-octave span on your fingerboard so they will certainly help expand your fretboard familiarity. Plus, due to their vertical structure, seventh chord arpeggios are excellent string crossing exercises and great chops builders for all musicians. To expand your knowledge of seventh chords as they relate to the fingerboard and your overall fretboard familiarity, always remember to practice each seventh chord arpeggio in every key across the entire range of the fingerboard, and try to maintain a consistent alternating two-finger technique with your articulating (right) hand. When playing the arpeggio in a descending fashion, the tendency will be to "rake" across the strings with a single finger. Although raking is a perfectly legitimate and useful technique, for the purposes of these exercises, try to maintain the alternating two-finger technique when playing the arpeggios both ascending and descending on the fingerboard.

The major 7 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and a major seventh scale degree.

Maj7

?4 4
T A B

10

10

12

16

12

10

10

The two most commonly associated scales with the major 7 arpeggio and chord type are the Ionian and Lydian modes of the major scale.

The minor 7 arpeggio is constructed of a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

m7

? b
T A B

b
8

11

10

10

13

12

15

12

13

10

10

11

Since the Dorian, Phrygian, and Aeolian modes of the major scale as well as the minor pentatonic and blues scale have identical chord tones (root, minor third, perfect fifth, and minor seventh scale degrees), all of them are associated with the minor 7 arpeggio and chord type.

The dominant 7 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, perfect fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

?
T A B

b
8

10

10

12

15

12

10

10

The Mixolydian mode of the major scale, the Lydian b7 mode of the melodic minor scale, and the half-step/whole-step symmetrical diminished scale are most closely associated with the unaltered dominant 7 arpeggio and chord type.

The m7b5 or half diminished arpeggio is constructed of a root, minor third, flatted fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

m7 b5

? b b b
T A B

b b b
11 15

b b

b b b
10 8

11

10

13

11

13

11

The Locrian #2 mode of the melodic minor scale and the pure Locrian mode of the major scale are the most frequently associated scales with the half diminished arpeggio and chord type.

The dim7 or fully diminished arpeggio is constructed of a root, minor third, flatted fifth, and a double flatted seventh scale degree.

dim7

? b b
T A B

b b
11 14

b b

b b
10

11

12

10

13

11

13

12

11

The whole-step/half-step symmetrical diminished scale is most commonly associated with the fully diminished arpeggio and chord type.

The minor-major 7 arpeggio is constructed of a root, minor third, perfect fifth, and a major seventh scale degree.

mMaj7

? b
T A B

11

10

10

13

12

16

12

13

10

10

11

The melodic minor scale is most closely associated with the mMaj7 arpeggio and chord type.

The 7sus4 arpeggio is constructed of a root, perfect fourth, perfect fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

7sus4

?
T A B

b
8

10

10

10

12

15

12

10

10

10

Most musicians associate the Mixolydian mode of the major scale with the 7sus4 arpeggio and chord type.

The Maj7#5 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, augmented fifth, and a major seventh scale degree.

Maj7#5

?
T A B

#
9

11

10

13

16

13

10

11

The Lydian Augmented mode of the melodic minor scale is most frequently associated with the Maj7#5 arpeggio and chord type.

The Maj7b5 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, flatted fifth, and a major seventh scale degree.

Maj7 b5

?
T A B

b
9

10

11

16

11

10

The Lydian Augmented mode of the melodic minor scale is most commonly associated with the Maj7b5 arpeggio and chord type.

The 7#5 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, augmented fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

7#5

?
T A B

# b
8

# b

b #
10 8

11

10

13

15

13

11

The whole tone scale and the seventh mode of the melodic minor scale, Altered Dominant, are most closely associated with the 7#5 arpeggio and chord type.

The 7b5 arpeggio is constructed of a root, major third, flatted fifth, and a minor seventh scale degree.

7b5

?
T A B

b b
8

b b

b b
10 8

10

11

15

11

The whole tone scale and the Altered Dominant mode are most frequently associated with the 7b5 arpeggio and chord type.