Lesson 29

Notes to Lesson 29

Next on our list of possible runs, Lesson 29 gives us Dominant 7 & 9 arpeggios. As in the previous lessons on scale runs, we aren't too overburdened with exercises to memorize. These runs appear in practically every tune that has been recorded by anyone improvising since the 1930's and maybe before then as well. I've maintained the same modus operandi for these exercises as in the previous scale run exercises: Lead to the left, Rhythm to the Right.

Exercise 19 is the only exercise that uses the dominant 9 forms and it does so on strings 3, 2, and 1.

Exercise 20 actually is a continuation of Exercise 19, but with the 4 notes per chord, it becomes a dominant 7 exercise. This exercise is on the 4th through 2nd strings.

Exercise 21 is like Exercise 20, only on strings 5, 4, and 3.

Exercise 22 is also closely related to Exercise 20, including the strings, but instead of starting on the 1 of the chord, it starts on the 7 and skips to the 3.

Exercise 23 combines Exercises 19, 20, and 22 for an extended one measure per chord form. This exercise is for the 4th through 1st strings. Mickey calls it a dominant 7 form, but it really should be a dominant 7b9 form and parts of it will be found in the upcoming lesson on diminished chords (which we learned are sometimes used as 7b9 chords.)

Bonus Exercise: Here's an exercise that is similar in philosophy to Exercise 19, but it uses the 4th through 2nd strings. I discovered this form many years ago when I was transcribing the hot mandolin licks of Jethro Burns so that I could use them on the guitar. If I remember correctly, Mickey even uses a version of this form in a later lesson. I don't think you'll be too stressed with the addition of this run!

Continuing Nag: Let's not forget to continue building our Standards notebook we started at Lesson 17. In fact, if you're like me, you never pick up a collection of tunes without mentally adding the new chords, right? Sure you do! Please share with us what you create.

Just keep it FUN!