steelstringcheese

I was working on ways of practicing arpeggios through moving harmonies, and came up with this drill.  It uses three different arpeggio patterns, based on the e-form, a-form, and c-form fingerings. Some reversals of direction enable each arpeggio to fit neatly within a 16-note framework.

I have provided fingerings for the first four chords in the sequence, to show how the three-chord pattern loops. Follow this sequence all the way to the G7 chord at the 15th fret, which marks the completion of a full cycle of 4ths.

For an extra challenge, reverse the sequence, starting at the G7 at XV, then through 5ths: D7, A7, etc. on downward to your starting point.

I just completed a marathon practice session, wherein I focused mainly on alternate picking. Here’s one of several patterns I worked on  which combines slurs with outside picking:

Here is what it sounds like at a decent speed.  (Play 16th-note pattern)

I’ll elaborate on this exercise more next time. Meanwhile, if you’re up for a greater challenge, try the pattern with no slurs, beginning with an upstroke.

The problem with arpeggios on the guitar is they generally require sweeping or awkward string skips. If you keep two notes per string, you can set up patterns like this, which are generally pretty easy on the right hand:

Try it with your preferred picking and legato placement. Also, think of each group of two notes on one string as a cell, and try varying the pattern within each cell, and stringing each cell together in different ways. You can certainly apply this pattern to other chord types, but four-note seventh-chords are probably going to work best. Try raising or lowering the fifth, or raising the root one half-step to imply either a C7b9 or C#dim7.

In his fantastic book of technical exercises, Sheets of Sound for Guitar, Jack Zucker presents an exercise utilizing this pattern:

I love the hemiola that occurs when I repeat this pattern using regular eighth notes against a 4/4 pulse. A couple of days ago, I constructed a lick that begins with the seven-note pattern, but then allows it to blossom into something delightfully asymmetrical. Note the right hand directions; I prefer to use hybrid picking, combining flatpicked downstrokes with middle finger plucks.

In practice, I found it quite natural to digress from this specific sequence of notes and rhythms. At a show the very next evening, a similar lick popped up in one of my solos. I suspect I’m going to get a lot of mileage out of this material.

Most descending licks tend to move from string to string scale-wise. My thing lately is coming up with sequences that move upward on one string, then down to the next string by a large interval. Specifically, sequences like this:

Here, we have three ascending notes on string one, then a skip downward a 7th as we cross strings. This is one of my favorite things right now. It began with the “Crushing Day”-inspired figure in my last post, and has spawned a few ideas since.

Here’s an alternate version, with one note altered in each iteration of the pattern. I find it a bit more angular sounding.

Try to observe the legato markings, and bring this up into the neighborhood of 124 bpm. Articulate smoothly as possible — Eric Johnson smooth.

Today’s exercise is a long run consisting of two parts. I got the idea while studying Joe Satriani’s “Crushing Day,” but my exercise shouldn’t resemble any specific part of the piece — it was only loosely inspired.

The first part features a ten-note descending sequence, and the second part ascends in groups of five. Use whatever picking directions you are comfortable with:

Here’s another little something from a recent practice session. Try this lick in a Bb7 context:

Now let’s make an exercise of it. Try repeating this a few times:

Here’s an alternate articulation that adds a touch of soul:

And finally, here’s a continuation of the pattern:

I came up with this lick last night, which combines several ideas worth practicing. It was intended for use in an E dorian context.

We begin with E minor pentatonic, but with fingering spaced in a way that creates a modern, “fusion-esque” impression. We descend into D minor for a moment; then arpeggiate a D#7 before returning to E minor. The lick could end here, but I chose to extend it with a few small arpeggios: Em7, Bm, Amaj, and Dmaj7.

Like any longer lick, don’t just practice this with the intent to use as-is. Consider this seed material for other fresh ideas. Break up its components and see what you can make with them.

I was noodling around in C minor (dorian), and came up with this chromatic lick:

One of the tricks to playing outside the changes is using simple chord arpeggios or digital patterns in remote keys. In this example, we move through Cm7, F#7, G#7, C#m13, Bm7, Abm9(maj7), and Bbmaj9 before ending with a broken G major triad, which I actually intended to imply C melodic minor. We begin with a solid foundation in the home key, before moving through five fairly remote keys, then returning to B-flat major, which is relative to C dorian, thus adhering to the rule of thumb that tension needs resolution. The use of B-natural as a final note disrupts said resolution at the last moment, and its nervous energy is intensified by the sudden halt on a weak beat. It’s sort of inspired by the phrasing I hear from Greg Howe.

There wasn’t any intended logic to the implied chord progression, besides the intent to stay as distant from the C dorian key signature as possible. Upon examination, however, there is a hint of a pattern in the whole step motion, from F# to G#, C# to B, and Ab to Bb. Motion in whole steps is commonly used by improvisors (Oliver Nelson springs to mind), and it’s easy to visualize on the neck. The fact that the first chords in each pair follow a pattern of fifths is also an accident. The major 9th arpeggio one whole step below the home key — in this case Bbmaj9 — is something I often use in a dorian situation.

When I run across any new idea like this, I’ll try to use it to generate other fresh material. See what you can do with it.

Earlier, I presented a 7th chord arpeggio workout (see “Practice Journal: A7 Arpeggio Exercise“). Now, let’s use fragments of those patterns to construct a short solo. This is an étude, so don’t expect a profound musical statement.

• Etude: 7th Chord Arpeggios