Four-Note Chord Arpeggios

A thorough command of arpeggios is a necessity for improvising jazz lines on any instrument. Here are the patterns I've worked out so far for sixth and seventh chords.

Page Contents

Arpeggio Positions

Arpeggio Positions

In each diagram, the root is in parentheses. See the SmartASCII page for an explanation of the notation. I use the CAGED System.

Major 7th

E Form

1+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+----+
2+----+-R2-+----+----+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+

A Form

1+----+-R2-+----+----+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+

D Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R4-+----+

G Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+
4+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+

C Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+-R1-+(R2)+----+----+----+
3+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+(R4)+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

Major 6th

E Form

1+----+(R1)+----+----+----+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+

A Form

1+----+-R2-+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+-R4-+----+

D Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R4-+----+

G Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
4+----+----+-R1-+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+

C Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
3+----+----+-R1-+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

Dominant 7th

E Form

1+----+(R1)+----+----+----+-R4-+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+

A Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

D Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
5+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+
6+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+

G Form

1+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
4+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+

C Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+----+(R2)+----+----+----+
3+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

Minor 7th

( = Major 6th arpeggios starting on a different note)

D Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+----+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+

G Form

1+----+-R2-+----+(R3)+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+

C Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+(R4)+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R4-+----+

E Form

1+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
4+----+----+-R1-+----+(R4)+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+

A Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
3+----+----+-R1-+----+(R4)+----+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

Minor 6th

D Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+----+----+
2+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+

G Form

1+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
6+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+

C Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R4-+----+

E Form

1+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+

A Form

1+----+-R1-+----+-R2-+----+----+
2+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+(R4)+----+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+-R3-+----+

Minor 7b5

( = Minor 6th arpeggios starting on a different note)

C Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+----+----+
2+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+----+
3+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+----+
6+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+

E Form

1+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+----+
2+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+----+
5+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
6+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+

A Form

1+----+----+----+-R3-+----+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
3+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+----+
4+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
5+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
6+----+----+----+----+-R4-+----+

D Form

1+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+----+
2+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+----+
3+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
4+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
5+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+

G Form

1+----+-R1-+----+(R2)+----+----+
2+----+----+-R2-+----+----+----+
3+----+(R1)+----+----+-R4-+----+
4+----+----+----+----+-R3-+----+
5+----+----+-R1-+----+----+-R4-+
6+----+----+-R1-+----+(R3)+----+