ARPEGGIOS & THE BEBOP SCALE

ABOUT THIS LESSON

Instead of playing arpeggios from the root up to the 7th over each chord, jazz guitarists often start the arpeggio on the 3rd and play up to the 9th, creating a richer, more colorful line. Over the dominant (V) chord, a ♭9 can stand in for the natural 9th, adding a touch of tension just before it resolves.

Figure 1 runs this 3-to-9 idea through the same Em7 – A7 – Dmaj7 progression and resolves by landing on the 9th of Dmaj7 — a bright, open color tone sitting just outside the basic triad.

Figure 2 reworks the identical shape but resolves instead on the 3rd of Dmaj7, the chord's defining tone, for a more grounded finish. Practice both slowly with a metronome, then try aiming your own lines at the 9th or the 3rd on beat one of the resolution to internalize how each target tone sounds.