So today, let's take a look at 10 runs and arpeggios that we put together for you. These
are great when you're improvising, and to fill out the spaces, when you're playing solo piano.
At the end of the video I'll tell you how to
get the PDF for today's video. So definitely stick around till then.
Number 1
This is just a combination of three quartals: C47 D47 and F47. You can think of a Cm7
chord, and you get the quartals on the 1, the 2, and the 4th. The left hand plays the C47 and
the F47. And the right hand plays the D47. So, the left hand just plays C47 F47 and C47, like this...
and the right hand starts with the quartal in first inversion -- with G at the bottom --
which you can see as a Gsus4. Then in root position, and then in first inversion again.
and then we just alternate left and right, like this...
To finish the run, we keep thinking of the Gsus4, and run it down like this...
and in C#, it would be this...
And you can finish on any note -- on the downbeat. Let's say, I'm going
to go to Dbmaj7, then I can play this...
or, if we end on a B7alt, we get this...
Number 2: This one's pretty easy! Just think of two major triads: Db and G. The left hand
plays Db in first inversion, and the right hand, plays a G in second inversion...
The roots of the two triads have to be a tritone away from one another. With these inversions, the
two voicings are always a half-step away from one another. You can use this on dominant chords.
If we're combining Db and G, we can use it over the following chords: Db7,
E7, G7
and Bb7...
By the way, when you practice any of these runs (or arpeggios), you can use different rhythms, like this...
and also, you can add one note at a time, like this...
and this method works for any of the runs. Number 3...
This one's really easy. Just play the whole-tone scale. split in 3 notes per hand.
Regardless of where you start, always split these 3 Black Keys on your
left hand, and these three white keys on your right hand...
and for the other whole-tone scale, I like to play these three on the left, and these three on the right...
You can play this run on any dominant chord -- whose root can be found within that whole-tone scale...
Number 4...
In this run, we're using a pentatonic scale in a very unique way. Instead of thinking of
the scale, we think of two substructures that make up the entire pentatonic scale.
So think of the D minor pentatonic, and extract two sus4 chords from it: Dsus4 and Csus4, like this...
and you can use it over any chord that works with that pentatonic. Like Bbmaj7...
Dm7...
Gm7...
Fmaj7...
or Ebmaj7...
Number 5...
this is just an inversion of an Abadd9 chord. It's pretty easy to play,
and you can use it on any chord, that takes that add9 chord as
an upper structure, like Abmaj7...
Dbmaj7...
Fm7...
Ab7...
or even D7 to get an alternate sound...
iI you don't know what upper structures are, we have a whole course designed around teaching
you how to use them, how do they work, and all the theory there within. So for tricks like
this (or the next one -- we're about to talk about) you definitely want to look into that. Number 6...
In this one, we use the power of the half-whole scale, and
extract constant structures from it, to create a nice effect for dominant chords.
These are altered quartals -- made up of an augmented 4th and a perfect 4th. The
easiest way, to know where to play this run, is to take a dominant chord and think of the
diminished seventh chord on the b9. So, for D7, we think of an Ebo7, then
we play all maj7#4 -- altered quartals -- on each of the notes of that chord...
Ebmaj#4, F#maj7#4, Amaj7#4, and Cmaj7#4...
The right hand plays the next maj7#4 in the sequence, like this...
Now, we can use this on any dominant from the tritone system. So this run works for: D7,
F7, Ab7 and, B7. Number 7 and Number 8...
These are variations of one another. The perspective here, is to think of the perfect
quartal on the 9th of a maj7 chord. So, for Ebmaj7 we play F47, like this...
and when we come back down, we insert the maj7 into the run...
"Number 8" is the exact opposite. We go up with the
maj7 inserted in the quartal, and we come back down with just the quartal.
Of course, we can use this over an Ebmaj7, but we can also use it
over Abmaj7, or a Cm7...
Number 9...
So here, we're combining a m7 chord and the Dorian scale. Let's say: F#m7
and F# Dorian. The left hand plays the F#m7 arpeggio -- with a fifth on every note...
and the right hand just plays the F# Dorian
scale starting on the 2 -- also for two octaves...
and then, we combine them like this...
And we can move straight into "Number 10", which is just a sus4 arpeggio, broken in an uneven form.
To play this, think of the sus4 with the octave, like this...
so you only use one position -- that you're shifting down...
That's all for today. As always, all of our members will receive a PDF, highlighting and
notating today's exercise. If you're not a member yet, go ahead and click on the join
button -- or the link down below. Also check out our website: mDecks.com -- for all sorts of useful music information.
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ahead, and stick around. Watch that one for us, and we'll catch you next time.