eBook: JM-Arpeggio-Book

As most of us know, chords basically are built from intervals of the scales of our tonal system. These mainly are the so called „major or minor triads“ we all know, built from the 1., 3. and 5. degree of the scale, which builds the „basic“-chords. Chord example: C, E, G = C-Major.

The so called „extended chords“, which contain more added intervals to those basic three intervals, for example such as additional sixths, sevenths or ninths, thus they contain some more single intervals or even a combination of some of them (see also the JM-Chord-Lexicon, page 4-12).

While a chord normally is beeing played „as one“ (e.g. strumming all of it ́s contained notes at once), in comparison an Arpeggio of the same chord will be broken down into all of it ́s intervals „one-by-one“ beeing played one after another. This way again it is “broken up” into single notes, thus building a kind of melody.

Originally Arpeggios (like bends, thrillers or other musical variations) in staff notation belonged to the musical ornaments, that weren´t defined by composers in first place in their notations, but more or less left over to the musical taste and inspiration of any interpreting musicians.

Django Reinhardt strongly admired them and listened to all these composers very often, especially to Johann Sebastian Bach (who already intensively used Arpeggios in his early compositions for guitar). That´s why Django may have started to „copy“ or „imitate“ these playing techniques, using them in his own way of playing Gypsy-Jazz or Jazz-Manouche, which still is strongly influenced by his playing style until today.

Django quickly realized that while using a little training Arpeggios are a great tool that could be used and played very fast and effective, and could even be used on longer passages in improvisations or also while accompaning…

Django Reinhardt used Arpeggios in nearly all of his improvisations in one way or another. He also discovered his own picking-technique especially for Arpeggios, thus creating a very unique kind of playing Arpeggios (see „Gypsyjazz Guitar – A tribute to Gypsyjazz“, page 78).

Contents “JM-Arpeggio Book”

• “simple” Major- and Minor-Arpeggios
• extended Arpeggios
• Major7-Arpeggios
• Dominant7-Arpeggios
• Minor6-Arpeggios
• Minor7-Arpeggios
• Minor9-Arpeggios
• Disminished-Arpeggios
• Exotic variations of Arpeggios

In all chapters inside this eBook you´ll find examples on how to use Arpeggios while improvising with practical approach. The “JM-Arpeggio Book” has 35 pages with staff notation as well as TABs and is available for only 16,90€ (as download)