Superimposed

Maj7b5 Arpeggios
B Y

P I N O

M A R R O N E

ITS A CHALLENGE TO CREATE IMPROvised melodies that outline a tunes chord structure. One way to sketch harmony is to spell out
chords using arpeggios. If you started playing
guitar by jamming over rock and blues vamps
as I did, you may find that it takes time to internalize these vertical sounds and shapes. Furthermore, its often difficult to create interesting
sounds beyond basic four-note, seventh-chord
formulas.
Superimpositions. A potent technique for

enhancing lines is to superimpose arpeggios

onto the fundamental harmony. The idea is to
extend a four-note chord using tones outside
of its 1, 3, 5, and 7 formula. You can get very colorful results by enhancing different chord types
with superimposed maj7b5 arpeggios (1, 3, b5,
7). Lets examine the process.
Ex. 1a shows the four notes of an Fmaj7b5
arpeggioF, A, Cb, E. Ex. 1b shows a threeoctave, Fmaj7b5 arpeggio pattern that has its
root on the sixth string. This layout yields a
smooth, legato sound. Ex. 1c shows another
Fmaj7b5 arpeggio pattern. In this two-octave
fingering, the root is on the fifth string.
Charting your course. Take a look at the
chart on p. 131. It shows what kind of chord
types you can enhance with a maj7b5 arpeggio,
which chord tone to launch the arpeggio from,
and which extensions get emphasized in the
process. For example, to superimpose a maj7b5
arpeggio on a minor-7th chord (1, b3, 5, b7), start
the arpeggio from the b3.

Ex. 1a

Fmaj7 5

======
&
=
b
1

T
A
B

2
2

Ex. 1c

Fmaj7 5

Fmaj7 5

b w

4
b
===============
&4
=

4
b
==============
& 4 b
=

Ex. 1b

Take Dm7 (D, F, A, C ): The b3 is F, which

means the maj7b5 arpeggio is Fmaj7b5. Or how
about Am7 ? Its b3 is C, so youd arpeggiate a
Cmaj7b5. Whatever chord you start with, arpeggiating a maj7b5 from the b3 will emphasize two
extensionsthe 6 and 9.
Play on. The best way to understand any

5
5

T
A
B

7 12

7 12 13

2
1

13

10

T
A
B

9 10
7

b
(C # maj7 b 5)

# #
44
#
b

& {
================================
{
#
b
b
# #

Ex. 2

Dm7

G7

(Fmaj7 5)

(Bmaj7 5)

Cmaj7
(Cmaj7 5)

A7

T
A
B

..

1
5
2

2
1

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3

3
4

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PH OTO : C E C I L I A M O L I N A R I

For example, against Dm7, Cb is now spelled

Bits the same note, but easier to read.)
The two ringing phrases in Ex. 4 offers
more substitutions:
In bar 1, start on Dm7b5s b5 to generate
a two-octave Abmaj7b5 arpeggio.
In bar 2, start on G7alts 3 and arpeggiate
Bmaj7b5.
In bars 3 and 4, approach Cm6 the same
way youd approach Cm7: Start on the b3 to
generate an Ebmaj7b5 arpeggio.
A word about phrasing. As you develop
your own maj7b5 phrases, look for fingerings
that allow each line to sound musical and ex-

substitution is to work it out on your fretboard. Ex. 2 follows the principles described
in the chart. For clarity, well begin with chord
types described in the chart and run straight
arpeggios. Here are the details:
In bar 1, start on Dm7 s b3 to generate
a two-octave Fmaj7b5 arpeggio.
In bar 2, start on G7 s 3 (the launching
point for altered dominant sounds) and
arpeggiate Bmaj7b5.
In bar 3, start on Cmaj7 s root and
arpeggiate Cmaj7b5.
In bar 4, start on A7 s 3 and arpeggiate
C#maj7b5. (Again, this creates an altered
dominant sound.)
Okay so far? Substitutions can be tricky,
so take this material one step at a time and
review often.
Turning concepts into music. In Examples 3a and 3b, we put Ex. 2s maj7b5 arpeggios to work. Both four-bar lines are built
from the two-octave patterns we just played.
(To keep the lines flowing smoothly on the
page, a few notes are spelled enharmonically.

pressive. Often these fingerings will be very

different from those in typical guitar methods.
To further explore these and other related
concepts, search out Joe Diorios landmark
21st Century Intervallic Designs. This book
contains enough thought-provoking ideas
to last several lifetimes.
g
A Ted Greene alumnus, Pino Marrone has
also studied and performed extensively with
Joe Diorio. A former instructor at G.I.T. and
Grove School of Music, Marrone has played
and recorded with Joe Farrell, Alphonso Johnson, Kenny Kirkland, Dianne Reeves, Abra-

TARGET CHORD TYPE :START ARPEGGIO ON :EXAMPLE :

EXTENSIONS :

minor 7

b3

Dm7 = Fmaj7b5

6, 9

dominant 7

b7

G7 = Fmaj7b5

9, 13

altered dom7

G7alt = Bmaj7b5

#5, #9

root

Cmaj7 = Cmaj7b5

b5 (or #11)

b5

Em7b5 = Bbmaj7b5

11

major 7
minor7b5

Ex. 3a

# n
C j J b b n #
#
================================
&
3
Dm7

Swing feel

G7alt

Cmaj7

A7

Dm7

= 95

3 3

etc.

1
T
A
B

5
2

2 7

3 4

6 5

2
4

Ex. 3b

n
J b b b n #

# J
C
================================
&
3
3
3
3
3

Swing feel

Dm7

G7alt

Cmaj7

A7

Dm7

= 95

2 3

etc.

12 7

7 12
10

T
A
B

11

10

10 9 10

6
8

8 13 13 8
7

8
9
10 9 9

10

11

b
(Bmaj7 b 5)
(E b maj7 b5)

b
n

n b
bb 4

b
n
n n .
4

================================
&

Ex. 4

= 125

10

Dm7 5
(A maj7 5)

G7alt

Cm6

1 2 3

1 2 3

3 2

1 2
3

3 2

3
T
A
B

3
3

6
3

5
6

6
6

5
6 5

10
6

8
9

10
10

10
12

9 8

12
13

13121312
12 10 1210
1110

To be creative and spontaneous, you have to live with imperfection. John Abercrombie, Nov. 86 GP

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