When learning how to play jazz guitar, one of the first things we often explore in the practice room is outlining chord changes using arpeggios.
Since arpeggios use only the notes in each chord, 1-3-5-7, they are great melodic devices to use when looking to dig into the chords you are soloing over, and bring out the exact sound of each change in the progression.
While learning four-note arpeggios is a must-have skill for any jazz guitarist, there is a further step you can take in your arpeggio workout that will extend these arpeggios to seven notes, bringing more “color tones” into your lines, as well as opening up the neck as you bring three new notes into the four-note arpeggio shapes you already know.
In this article, we’ll be looking at how you can learn arpeggios up to the 13th for each of the four “basic” chords, how to apply this concept to major and minor key progression and how to work out these shapes in the practice room.
If you like this concept, you can explore it further by checking out “Extended Jazz Guitar Arpeggios: Combining 4 and 3 Note Common Shapes.”
Four Basic Arpeggios to the 13th
The first thing to check out when delving into arpeggios up to the 13th is the four “basic” jazz chord types and their relative arpeggios.
These chord types are maj7, 7, m7 and m7b5. You can, of course, explore other arpeggios, which we will do in the other examples below, but if you’re new to this concept or to jazz guitar in general, having a strong understanding of these four chords is an essential tool to have under your belt.
Notice how each arpeggio can be divided