Arpeggios in music are broken cords sung in a sequence wither going up or down. The notes belong to one chord. Almost all instruments may employ arpeggiation techniques. However, instruments like guitars and synthesizers or pianos are often used to play arpeggios. In Western classical music, a chord played beginning with the lowest note and the then the higher notes successively is called an arpeggiato. In modern music, arpeggiato is also called a “rolled Chord”.
In triad diatonic scale modes, there are usually 3 unique triads, which are the Major, Minor, and Diminished. In string form, they are the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes. In 7th arpeggios, the idea is simply extended to include 4, 7th chords that are unique instead of 3. These are the Dominant 7, major 7, Minor 7b5, Minor 7. 7th chords cannot be played by sweep picking. It provides a refreshing change from the sweep picking monotony of triads. These scale modes are also much richer in sound quality than other triads. When played by combining legato with short sweeps, they tend to sound smooth and appealing.
One exercise involves playing the first three in C# Minor 7, A Major 7, and B Dominant 7 with all being within the E Major key. Half Diminished 7 can also be played in E Major. When trying to harmonize everything together, make sure to play the fourth note in Eb, moving it down half a step so that every arpeggio can be played within that same key. The major 7th arpeggio can be played in various ways. Using some pull-offs and hammer-ons along with some sweeping movements, this legato can have a smooth sounding. Playing a minor 7th arpeggio is done in C#. This arpeggio has a close resemblance to a C# Minor Pentatonic scale where they have 5 pitches per octave. In the dominant 7th arpeggio, the B is used in the key of E Major as the 5th tone in the scale. It has a unique, exotic sound. It looks awkward in shape but it sounds good.
In the half diminished 7th arpeggio, the 4 notes form part of what is called the blue scale. When playing scales in the pentatonic or blues lines, the use of the half diminished 7th arpeggio in the mix will produce a kind of effect that would normally sound weird. The effect may not be appealing to some but it nonetheless gives variety to the piece being played. Arpeggios are great in boosting a singer’s lead vocabulary since they offer a lot of possibilities for spicing up a play. Remember that every chord has a corresponding arpeggio. Indeed, the applications of arpeggios are almost limitless in music.
