In this lesson you will begin to extract arpeggios (broken chords) from scales, which will give you a crucial tool for lead playing and improvisation. Before you begin, warm up by playing scale pattern #1 a few times and then by playing it in thirds. When you have the pattern firmly in your head, you’re ready to begin finding the notes in the arpeggio of the I chord, which is a Major 7 chord.
You can find the chord tones (1, 3, 5, 7) for the I chord by playing tonic (scale degree 1) and then skipping the next note in the pattern and playing the one that follows (scale degree 3). From that point, skip the next note of the scale and play the one that follows (scale degree 5) and then once more skip the next note of the scale and play the one that follows (scale degree 7). The next note (scale degree 8, which is the same as scale degree 1 in the next octave), will be only one scale degree (not a skip) from the last. Continue through the pattern with the same method for playing chord tones (skip, skip, skip, don’t skip) for the second octave.
When you’ve memorized the I chord arpeggio and are comfortable playing it, learn the V chord arpeggio by beginning on scale degree 5 and using the same method (skip, skip, skip, don’t skip). You won’t have room to complete two octaves, but just go as far as you can. (In scale pattern #1 you will be able to play chord tones 1, 3, 5, 7, 8/1, 3, 5.)
Learn to Use Them
Now that you can play two important arpeggios, it’s time to put them to use! After practicing playing the notes of the I chord arpeggio in the order that you learned them, begin to play all of the notes of that arpeggio in random order. Play them as eighth notes (with the metronome) until you can do so accurately and comfortably. When you have practiced the I chord extensively, practice the V chord the same way. Take as much time as you need for this step.
Next, with the metronome set at a slightly lower speed than you were able to play the eighth note arpeggios, make a recording of six chord cycles that consist of four measures of the I chord followed by four measures of the V chord, for a total of 48 measures. As you listen back to your recording, practice using the arpeggio notes to create melodic phrases. When you can easily switch between the two arpeggios, make a new recording that changes chords every two measures. Finally, make and work with a recording that changes chords every measure.
Keep this exercise in your practice routine. You will find that you can practice it for weeks, months or years and continue to enjoy it and improve your playing!