Arpeggios Practice Book

[BrianMarc]

Can anyone advise whether they recommend this book for a beginner looking to develop a better understanding of chords and the fretboard: http://www.bassbooks.com/shopping/sh...p?id=824&bc=no

Thanks

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by BrianMarc

Can anyone advise whether they recommend this book for a beginner looking to develop a better understanding of chords and the fretboard: http://www.bassbooks.com/shopping/sh...p?id=824&bc=no
Thanks

Looks like this is what you will be working with:

Arpeggio Woodshedding takes you through arpeggio studies of the five most important seventh chords through all twelve keys, covering a good 90% of the seventh chords you'll ever encounter in a chord chart. Each of the sixty chords are presented in both sixteenth-note and eighth-note exercises, combining for 180 exercises, covering every inch of the fretboard.

I'm sure the following are the arpeggios he is talking about. I also assume the book will have you working toward see a chord, i.e. Cmaj7 and your fingers know what bass line to use with that chord. What you end up using is the arpeggio of the cord R-3-5-7. That's what I make my bass lines from - arpeggios. So it will be taking you in the right direction.

Major Scale Box.
Code:
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

7th Chords
• Maj7 = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
• Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
• ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
• Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7
The b stands for a flatted note, I catch my b3 one fret after the 2
and the b7 is right above the 4.

If the exercises get them into muscle memory, which I'm sure they will, yes it can help. I very seldom run into the 1/2 diminished and certainly not the full diminished arpeggios in my music, but I do use the maj7, minor 7 and dominant 7 all the time.

For $14 go for it. I would assume you will be using some kind of a box pattern and this will get you moving up and down your fretboard which is always a good thing. Hint. Say the scale degree's number as you run these patterns.

Worth $14 for sure.

[BrianMarc]

Thank you very much. Your response was thoughtful and informative.

[fearceol]

Here is a chord tone (and their inversions) chart by Jeff Berlin.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/387695/Jef...-the-Bass-1987

[BrianMarc]

Thank You!

[alfoders]

BrianMarc:
May I please ask if you bought this book and if it was worth the money? I'm weary of plunking down my hard-earned cashola for books which simply don't do what they advertise.

I'm working hard right now on arpeggios and could use a good study/practice plan. I have Jeff Berlin's Chord Tone book, but it only covers chords, not the arpeggios which my teacher is having me master.

[stanknuckle]

Originally Posted by alfoders

BrianMarc:
May I please ask if you bought this book and if it was worth the money? I'm weary of plunking down my hard-earned cashola for books which simply don't do what they advertise.

I'm working hard right now on arpeggios and could use a good study/practice plan. I have Jeff Berlin's Chord Tone book, but it only covers chords, not the arpeggios which my teacher is having me master.

What are the arpeggios your teacher is having you work on?

[carldogs]

The sample pages I looked at are a good workout for getting to know the shapes, for a beginner arpeggios can be quite strenuous, it is important to work slowly to build strength and independece in the fingers without developing bad habits like, fingers collapsing on the fret board or bunched up because the muscles are sore.

The book has tab and notation, tab is ok to get started but always try to go beyond the tab and try find other places to play the same notes or some of the notes and learn them as well, I'm not a big fan of tab but it does have a place in helping someone to get started, it's also useful as an aid in learning to read the notes if you are not reading at the moment.

Here are some fingerings for the movable shapes, I have taken them from the A 5th fret E string, numbers refer to fingers.


A Maj7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|-----|


A7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|-----|


G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|-----|


A minor7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|


G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|-----|



A half dim 7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|


G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|-----|-----|

This shape really works 3rd and 4th fingers (don't hurt muscles)


A dim 7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|---1-|-----|-----|--4--|
This shape does need an extended fingering to reach the bb7

G|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|-----|
D|-----|-----|-----|--2--|-----|-----|-----|-----|
A|-----|-----|--1--|-----|-----|--4--|-----|-----|
E|-----|-----|-----|-----|--3--|-----|-----|-----|



Good luck with the book and practice.

[alfoders]

Originally Posted by stanknuckle

What are the arpeggios your teacher is having you work on?

I'm a newbie, so he's having me do major arpeggios in all keys starting on the lowest note in the major scale on the E string (which is F - no open strings). He wants me to get the patterns into "muscle memory". After F I do F#/Gb, G, Ab, B, C, etc.

I believe we are moving on to minor scales in our next lesson.

[jallenbass]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Hint. Say the scale degree's number as you run these patterns.

This is the most inportant part of learning. It's not about the fingers. Your brain has to tell them what to do.

[Ed Fuqua]

And if you really want to learn these, write them all out yourself. All inversions, open and closed position in all twelve keys. You don't need a book to work on arpeggios.

[alfoders]

You know, that did not occur to me! Just writing them out would be a good exercise in itself.

Thanks for the hint!

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

And if you really want to learn these, write them all out yourself. All inversions, open and closed position in all twelve keys. You don't need a book to work on arpeggios.

[Jalap_inya]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

And if you really want to learn these, write them all out yourself. All inversions, open and closed position in all twelve keys. You don't need a book to work on arpeggios.

So if I wanted to write them out myself, how would I go about that?

Would I use this in all 12 keys on each string?

• Maj7 = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
• Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
• ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
• Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7

What are inversions and open/closed positions?

Thanks.

[Ed Fuqua]

You would get some staff paper and a pencil and, starting with C and going around the circle of fifths to get your "root" for each "key", you will notate each one. I'd start with triads and then do the 4 parts.
Inversions are the chord tones starting with the other notes as the bottom note. By way of example, for a C maj 7 chord
Root position is R 3 5 7 or C E G B
1st inversion is 3 5 7 octaveC or E G B C
2nd inversion is 5 7 3 octaveC or G B C E
3rd inversion is 7 octaveC 3 5 or B C E G
This is closed position, all the notes are "in order". Open position spreads them out, again with same chord. These all ascend from the bottom note up, you never drop BACK to get a note.
R 5 3 7. C G E B
3 7 5 octave E B G C etc.

[Jalap_inya]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

You would get some staff paper and a pencil and, starting with C and going around the circle of fifths to get your "root" for each "key", you will notate each one. I'd start with triads and then do the 4 parts.
Inversions are the chord tones starting with the other notes as the bottom note. By way of example, for a C maj 7 chord
Root position is R 3 5 7 or C E G B
1st inversion is 3 5 7 octaveC or E G B C
2nd inversion is 5 7 3 octaveC or G B C E
3rd inversion is 7 octaveC 3 5 or B C E G
This is closed position, all the notes are "in order". Open position spreads them out, again with same chord. These all ascend from the bottom note up, you never drop BACK to get a note.
R 5 3 7. C G E B
3 7 5 octave E B G C etc.

Okay, so triad would be R 3 5, right? Then the 4 part would be R 3 5 7? I've been working the circle of fifths on each string in order to remember where all the notes are. So in order I'd write, C E G B, G B D F#, D F# A C#, etc.

Thank you.

[Ed Fuqua]

But do all versions with same "root" first; major, minor, diminished, augmented triads. Then the next "key". Then the 4 parts - maj7, dominant7, minor 7, minor major7, minor 7b5, augmented 7, mediant.

[Jalap_inya]

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

But do all versions with same "root" first; major, minor, diminished, augmented triads. Then the next "key". Then the 4 parts - maj7, dominant7, minor 7, minor major7, minor 7b5, augmented 7, mediant.

Okay cool. Thanks a lot man.

[Ed Fuqua]

De nada, we're all on the path.

[derekd]

I was taught to recite major scales, major and minor triads and all 5 7th chords/arpeggios around the key circle and do it under a minute. Otherwise, if you can't pull up each of those chord tones quickly the chord of the moment has passed you by and the band is on to the next one.

Writing them out, calling out each note as you play them around the circle and reciting them while in the car or where ever is vital practice, imo.