Now, let’s explore the fourth secret: working on your arpeggios. Arpeggios are essentially the notes of a chord played separately, providing a fundamental aspect of musical expression.

Understanding arpeggios enhances your ability to create melodic patterns within a chord progression.

Imagine a G7 chord with the degrees root, third, fifth, and flat seventh. Playing these notes individually constitutes an arpeggio.

However, arpeggios don’t have to be played strictly up and down; you can experiment with different directions, rhythms, and note combinations.

Initially, I struggled to grasp the musicality of arpeggios, much like many players do. The misconception was thinking of them as rigid patterns, but as I gained more experience and exposure, my understanding evolved. Jazz lessons with Jimmy Bruno and observations of shredder Silvio Gazquez expanded my perspective on using arpeggios as a versatile tool.

In the context of the blues, incorporating arpeggios into your playing provides an alternative to scales during a 1-4-5 progression.

For example, over a G7 chord, you can choose to play the G7 arpeggio instead of a scale, adding a different flavor to your improvisation.