Arpeggio Applications

Lesson 3 - Dominant Sounds

Lesson 3 Sample

Lyle: This lesson will show you how you can create different dominant sounds against a dominant chord by using the same arpeggio shapes from the other lessons. There are several types of dominant chords, 7, 9, 11, and 13. Dominant chords are:

E7 =  1, 3, 5, b7

E9 =  1, 3, 5, b7, 9

E11 = 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11

E13 = 1, 3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13

2 = 9, 4 = 11, 6 = 13

Lyle: Here's your jam track in E7:

Jam Track in E7

Lyle: The E7 chord you here in the jam track is made by sliding up like this:

E7 rhythm riff

rhythm E7

Lyle: If you play the E7 arpeggio against the E7 chord, you'll simply get the E7 sound, a dominant sound that matches the chord. Here's a couple good patterns to learn for the E7 arpeggio:

E7 arpeggio

E, G#, B, D  = E7
1,  3,   5,  b7 = notes compared to a E7 chord

Lyle: Try playing the E7 arpeggios with the jam track.

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Lyle: You know you can play the E7 arpeggio over the E7 chord to create the E7 sound. If you play the G#m7b5 arpeggio over the E7 chord you'll create the E9 sound:

G#m7b5 arpeggio

G#, B,  D, F# = G#m7b5
 3,   5, b7,  9  = notes compared to a E7 chord

Lyle: Remember this: Play a Minor 7b5 arpeggio up a Major 3rd from the dominant chord to create a dominant 9 sound.

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Lyle: To create the E11 sound, play a Bm7 arpeggio against the E7 chord:

Bm7 arpeggio

B, D, F#, A = Bm7
5, b7, 9,  11 = notes compared to a E7 chord

Lyle: Remember this: Play a Minor 7 arpeggio up a 5th from the dominant chord to create a dominant 11 sound.

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Lyle: To make the E13 sound play a Dmaj7 arpeggio against the E7 chord:

Dmaj7 arpeggio

D, F#, A, C# = Dmaj7
b7, 9,  11, 13 = notes compared to a E7 chord

Lyle: Remember this: Play a Major 7 arpeggio down a Major 2nd from the dominant chord to create a Major 13 sound.

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Lyle: Here's an example solo of all 4 arpeggios played in order against the jam track:

arpeggio solo 1

arpeggio solo 1

Lyle: So in theory, the arpeggio solo 1 is building in "color". By choosing those arpeggios in that order, I've created a dominant sound that builds from an E7 sound, to E9, to E11, to E13.

Lyle: This can be hard to do on the fly as you're improvising, but it's a great tool for when you want to put together and work out a solo.

Lyle: Here's another solo example using the same order of arpeggios, just different shapes:

arpeggio solo 2

arpeggio solo 2

Lyle: To help your ears hear the different dominant chords sound created, here's a way you can play the chords:

rhythm chords

Lyle: Listen to this jam track which has these chords that match up with the arpeggio solos:

Jam Track in E7 - all guitars

Lyle: That's all for this lesson on creating dominant sounds, have fun and see you in the next lesson!