Maj7 Arpeggios

  1. AZStu
    AZStu
    I've just moved beyond the 4 finger major scales.

    What points should be mentally focused on while doing the Arpeggios (Maj7, Dom7,Min7 and Min6)?

    The key progression seems fairly random. Is there a pattern I'm missing?

    Oops I just found it. The first chord of each 4 measure set progresses along the circle of 5ths (C F Bb Eb etc). Each measure of the 4 goes up by a minor 3rd (3 half steps). Some kind of diminished progression perhaps?

    Should I be trying to identify and learn the specific notes of each chord or is it simply enough to focus on root and then identify each interval as I play the same chord in different keys?
  2. Ted Eschliman
    Ted Eschliman
    This is going to sound kind of obtuse, but the point of the Arpeggios drill is more physical than mental; the intent was for the patterns to appear random, to mix you up, much like doing flash card drills. Yes, there is a minor 3rd movement with each key, and a circle of fifths upward with each line, but you need to forget I said that!

    It's not about learning the relationships of the key to key (although that would be some advanced extra credit for someone with far more mental capacity than me...), it's just physical acclimation to all twelve keys in only four (FFcP) patterns. It's about 7th chord patterns with "equal chromatic rights," getting you out of the prison of banjo keys. This will make more sense after drilling them for several weeks. Think the individual measures, not the big picture key changes. Moving in 3rds like this (not scale wise) is meant to take your eye off the game and put it on the ball. Temporarily, at least.

    For those of you who may not know, this is an eight-page exercise out of the "Getting Into Jazz Mandolin" book, not exercises on the website. Don't have them? Another excuse to buy the book!


    (There is a teaser article here: Four Finger Salute to Major Seven! )
  3. AZStu
    AZStu
    Thanks Ted

    Yeah, those progressions aren't particularly melodic, are they?

    After playing them some more, I realized that I tended to focus on two things: which FFcP form was being used and whether the arpeggio began on the 1 or the 7 note of the chord.
  4. hank
    hank
    Picklosers excellent double stop identification and memorization study puts the whole Enchilada in your mind very quickly. Between the logic of those patterns and FFcP applied to all the scale spacings the big picture is unavoidable. I'm finding the mandolin and fifths tuning a little like the Red pill of the music matrix.
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