Mixolydian arpeggios?

[CoffeeJanitor]

I am hoping to take a jazz class next semester at my college and the professor has said that in order to take it I'll need to know all major/aeolian/mixolydian scales and arpeggios.

I am only confused about the mixolydian arpeggios--would this be referring to the notes in a 7th chord? I'm a bit confused right now, as I've been searching around online and haven't really found anything...

Thanks!

[corradoc]

Yep, sure would. It's the notes of a dominant 7th chord - so 1, maj3, 5, min7.

[Jim Campbell]

Originally Posted by CoffeeJanitor

I am hoping to take a jazz class next semester at my college and the professor has said that in order to take it I'll need to know all major/aeolian/mixolydian scales and arpeggios.

I am only confused about the mixolydian arpeggios--would this be referring to the notes in a 7th chord? I'm a bit confused right now, as I've been searching around online and haven't really found anything...

Thanks!

chord tones of the scale built from the fifth step of the major scale or dominant 7 1 3 5 b7

[J-B'ass]

Yes, in this context "mixolydian arpeggio" refers to the arpeggio of a dominant 7 chord. The formula for this chord is Root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th. If C is your root note, then the chord would be C7, and the notes of C7 are C, E, G, and Bb. If you play this notes one at a time, then instead of being a chord it becomes an arpeggio.

The reason it's called mixolydian is because the mixolydian mode is the mode which begins on the 5th note of the major scale. This is the same note which the dominant 7 chord is built off. Really, they are the same thing; C7 is a chordal way of expressing the kind of harmony which C mixolydian lends itself to.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by J-B'ass

Yes, in this context "mixolydian arpeggio" refers to the arpeggio of a dominant 7 chord. The formula for this chord is Root, 3rd, 5th, flat 7th. If C is your root note, then the chord would be C7, and the notes of C7 are C, E, G, and Bb. If you play this notes one at a time, then instead of being a chord it becomes an arpeggio.

The reason it's called mixolydian is because the mixolydian mode is the mode which begins on the 5th note of the major scale. This is the same note which the dominant 7 chord is built off. Really, they are the same thing; C7 is a chordal way of expressing the kind of harmony which C mixolydian lends itself to.

Uhhhhh, mixolydian refers to a mode of the major scale, not a chord.

I think the "Mixolydian Arpeggios" in a college context would be the diatonic 7th chords built off of the mixolyian mode:

Dominant 7
Minor 7
Half diminished 7
Major 7
Minor 7
Minor 7
Major 7

So if you were to play those arpeggios in F let's say:

F7
Gmi7
Ami(b5)
Bbmaj7
Cmi7
Dmi7
Ebmaj7


Learn those in all 12 keys.

[MalcolmAmos]

Yes -- I think what you are being asked to know is the Major and natural minor scale plus the mixolydian mode.

Then the chords made from all those played as arpeggios. http://johncomino.tripod.com/arpeg.htm

[J-B'ass]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Uhhhhh, mixolydian refers to a mode of the major scale, not a chord.

I think the "Mixolydian Arpeggios" in a college context would be the diatonic 7th chords built off of the mixolyian mode

Thank you for agreeing with me that's why I said "in this context"

[CoffeeJanitor]

Alright guys, cool! That's what I thought. I've got a month or two to get all of these down so I figure I'll just hammer them every day.

EDIT:

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Uhhhhh, mixolydian refers to a mode of the major scale, not a chord.

I think the "Mixolydian Arpeggios" in a college context would be the diatonic 7th chords built off of the mixolyian mode:

Dominant 7
Minor 7
Half diminished 7
Major 7
Minor 7
Minor 7
Major 7

So if you were to play those arpeggios in F let's say:

F7
Gmi7
Ami(b5)
Bbmaj7
Cmi7
Dmi7
Ebmaj7


Learn those in all 12 keys.

So...I'm confused on this...You're going up a scale but playing arpeggios instead of just singular notes, right? I'm kind of confused on why you're going from Dominant to minor to diminished etc--could you explain this? I know a little theory, but not enough to completely pull everything together.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by CoffeeJanitor

So...I'm confused on this...You're going up a scale but playing arpeggios instead of just singular notes, right? I'm kind of confused on why you're going from Dominant to minor to diminished etc--could you explain this? I know a little theory, but not enough to completely pull everything together.

Keeping it simple - C Major scale has these notes:
C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C octave
The chords made from those notes are:
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am Bdim
Notice 3 major chords, 3 minor chords and 1 diminished chord. You asked about the dominant chord. The fifth chord (G) is considered the dominant chord and most of the time is listed as G7 or dominant seventh.

What will you be playing? If you will be playing melody; not the C scale in scale order, but melodic phrases make from the notes of the C scale. No one says you have to use all of them, you use the ones you need.

If you will be playing harmony (chords) you will be playing a chord progression of the chords in the key of C. Again no one says you have to use all of them, you use the ones you need. Perhaps only C F and G would be used. Those three chords have been used in thousands of songs using the key of C.

That brings us to arpeggios. Those chords you decided to use in your progression can be played as chords - all notes sounded at the same time -- or -- they can be played as arpeggios each note sounded individually.

Now since this is a bass forum - those arpeggios are kinda important. Over the chord progression you can play generic bass riffs, pentatonics or arpeggios.

You asked; "I'm kind of confused on why you're going from Dominant to minor to diminished etc." That is just the chords you run into within a key. Each key will have 3 Major, 3 minor 1 diminished and the fifth chord is the dominant chord and is usually made a dominant seventh chord for example G7. Those names are given to the specific chords so we know what their function is -- It's the language of music theory. http://www.music.vt.edu/musicdictionary/

[CoffeeJanitor]

Alright man, thanks for the explanation--it makes a lot more sense now.

And WOW at that website! :O