Bluesy Jazz approach on steel

[Jesse Pearson]

This approach was used by a number of important jazz players in the 50'. Play a G min triad arpeggio with an F major triad arpeggio above it like this, low to high, G Bb D F A C. You can play this over a G min7 chord which gives you the following intervals relative to G minor 7, root, b3rd, 5th, b7, 9th, 11th.

You can play the G super Arp over a C7 chord and you get these intervals relative to C7, 5th, 7, 9, 11, 13, root of the C7. The 11th of C7,(F)gives you a bluesy sound and is not the avoid note that is often taught in jazz schools when you see how many well known jazz greats use it in their lines against dom7 chords (C minor blues = C Eb F Gb G D). Must of been a classical rule that was being miss-used when used in a jazz context by educators, Bach didn't use the blues scale?

You can play the G super Arp over a Bb major chord and you get, 6th, root, major 3rd, 5th, major 7th, 9th.

Over a E min7b5 you can play the G super Arp and get these intervals relative to the E min7b5 chord, b3, b5, b7, b9, 11, b6.

What is nice about this approach is it sounds very melodic because of the distance between the notes and is often called "minorizing a chord" to get a bluesy jazz sound. I have found that the notes directly above or below the chord tones of the Super Arp are fair game for adding inerest to this approach without having to think about it much. Try it on C6 lap steel, works great.

Minor 7 = Super Arp based on the root of the min 7 chord.

Dom 7 = Super Arp based on the 5th of the Dom 7 chord.

Major 7 = Super Arp based on the 6th of the Major 7 chord. (relative minor key position)

Minor7b5 = Super Arp based on the b3 of the Min7b5 chord.

[Jesse Pearson]

Remember, play this approach as a long arpeggio.

[Gerard Ventura]

IS the tuning for a 6 string G Bb D F A C? thanks

[Ian Kerr]

I don't think so.All the notes listed are part of the F major scale . The one note missing from this scale is the seventh E.So if we assume the key of F
and some related chords eg. Gm7,C7,Bb6 ,Bb maj7,Em7-5,with the standard C6 tuning low to high C E G A C E,we then have these notes [G,Bb,D,F,A,C] OR combinations of them at fret 0 or 12 [home base for F or Fmaj7], fret 5[also home base for F,Dm7]and fret
10[Gm7,Bb6].So you could work your way through the above chords using frets 0,5,10,12.
Another example :for a Gm7chord[G,Bb,D,F],you might work your way through D,F,A,C[a Dm7 chord on fret 5]
instead of playing the Gm7 at fret 10.
If you went to an 8 string C6 with an A AND F on the bottom then you would have all the notes except the low G stacked in order at the 5th fret
And if you had a pedal steel , this is exactly what
pedal 7 on the C6th neck gives you in order on fret
10 [G,Bb,D,F,A,C]on strings 8 to 3.

[Jesse Pearson]

It is simply a minor triad and a major triad stacked on top of each other e.g. G Bb D F A C. I use it on guitar and alto sax with great effect. It is a way to get away from the confines of scale playing and sound more melodic in your line because the notes are a series of 3rd intervals and therefor the line has more distance between the notes and relates to small harmony chucks that relate to the chord of the moment. On C6 lap (6 stringer) I have found 3 places to lay the G super arp against all it's related chord types that I posted above. One of them allows a nice triplet strum pick. If you play guitar, it streches the neck out from the 3rd fret to the 15th fret and is very easy to apply . You use this approach with all the other ones you can come up with and mix it up. When used over a major chord with the major blues scale, it sounds great for Hawaiian and that J. Murphy feel I've found. In the 40', Bop player's would just play Dom7 material over a ii-V. In the 50', they would minorize the ii-V and play minor bluesy stuff over the ii-V.

[Jesse Pearson]

I just got done mapping out the G minor/F major arp in tab for C6 in tab. One of the ways to see this super arp on steel and guitar is to build triads up the neck of the steel or guitar based on the minor 7th chord your using as a reference chord over it's relative Dom7. C7 = e.g. G-7 = G Bb D F = G minor = G Bb D, Bb major = Bb D F, D minor = D F A, F major = F A C. The root notes of these minor and major triads are the notes of the G minor 7 chord that is based on the 5th of the C7 dom chord. This take you from the low end of the neck up to the 17th fret on the guitar and also streches out the lap steel neck as well etc, isolate the triads and add the rest of the super arp notes around the triad notes to find positions to grab notes on your necks. Because the C6 steel is tuned in 3rds and a whole step, it's not as easy as the guitar for using this approach, but still works because notes is notes. On a Dom9th chord, build a minor7b5 arp built on the 3rd of the Dom chord, sounds great over a 4 chord in a blues progression or a country hick song that swings etc. If you write out the intervals under the tab, you can see how the notes explote the 9, 11th and 13th for added color and tension in your line when using the super arp approach. Like most good approaches, this one is easy to turn into auto pilot when soloing after thinking it through first and applying it. I've studied this approach with Larry Carlton, Frank Gamble and Garrison Fewell through their fine books on the subject.

[Jesse Pearson]

This post is for the people who have emailed me with questions about the super Arp.

If you use Denny Turner's concept that the open and 12th position of C6 tuning is really a Dom7 position, with it's extensions two frets down, you can use this approach with great effect. I would suggest playing at the 4th fret position as an E7 one chord in a blues or country hick song. Map out the E7 arppegio = E, G#, B, D = root, major 3rd, 5th, b7 intervals relative to the E7 chord. The notes produce Harmonic stability or release of tension if you will. Start your line with these notes and then slip into the super arp to create melody, color and tension ( 9th, 11th, 13th). You can go back to the basic E7 arp notes to relaese the tension and end your line with some harmonic stability again or use voice leading to slide smoothly into the next chord. e.g. b7 of the old chord to the 3rd of the next chord, b9 of the old chord to the 5 of the new chord etc.

On the 4 chord, play A9 by playing a min7b5 arp built on the 3rd of the 4 chord. A9 = C#-7b5 = C#, E, G, B = major 3rd, 5th, b7, 9th intervals of the A9 chord. This lays right on that cool 3 note A9 chord partial that Jerry Bryd uses.

On the B7 five chord, just repeat the theory you used on the one chord which would be F# Super Arp against B7 etc.

The major pentatonic/blues scale based on the one chord sounds great against the 1 and IV chord. The major pentatonic/blues scale based on the root of the V chord sounds great against the V chord. I also like the Bebop Mixolydian scale against dom 7 chords.

You can use all the Bebop jazz approaches that you would use on a horn or a guitar on the steel if you map it out. I use simple writting tablets and use 6 writting lines to outline strings found on a neck like simply tab does and then I draw 14 frets out on there with fret numbers under the neck for easy reference. Where the tab numbers would go on the strings, I write out the note name's instead of the numbers i.e. E, G#, B, D etc. I then write out the arpeggio or scale etc. above the neck and put the intervals under the note name list above the neck chart as a handy reference. That way, you get used to thinking and seeing intervals as they relate to the chord of the moment. Writting tablets go for 99 cents out here at the 99 cent stores, easy to use and read. I have written a personal source book for 12 bar jazz blues with chorus after chorus in guitar tab and for sax, mostly Charlie Parker. I have the guitar written for the key of A at the 5th fret and the sax for Bb concert. I'm starting to transcribe the same source book for C6 steel for the key of E at the 4th fret position. You start to see important junctures between the 4th to 5th measure and 8th to 9th measure and also the 9th and 10th measures for learning signiture phrases for inserting into your own solos.

[Jesse Pearson]

Over an E7 chord, you build the super arp built off of the E7 chords 5th, which is B. All of the notes of B Dorian have all the notes found in the B super Arp, that is the minorizing blues effect and why it sounds so good on guitar. B Dorian is the ii chord of E7, the connection is a related ii-V connection. As I said before, Bop guys in the 40' would play dom7 stuff over a ii-V without considering the ii alot of times. But hard bop guys in the 50' did the opposite and played the super arp and ii chord Dorian stuff over a ii-V without alot of concern about the V.

In mapping out linear scales from low to high (nut to bridge)on the C6 neck, I find it curious that nobody has a good book on linear scales for modes and arps etc. for the jazz inspired when it comes to C6? Western swing guys were into Bebop, so what gives?

[Larry Lorows]

This is really interesting guys and when I get to sitting at my steel, I'll try to remember it. Keep up the good work. Larry

[Bob Bowman]

I know this as 'Minorising the Dominant' and also as 'One Full Step Down'

Using scales of Dmin or Fmaj against G7/G9 and similar does the trick.

It's taught in a book called Cool Blues - Hot Jazz by Adrian Ingram (Univ Leeds Jazz Guitar tutor)and works great for jazz, blues and funky stuff. Best of all it takes you away from normal scales.

Cheers Bob

[Jesse Pearson]

Bob, I have that book as well. The "Melodic approach to Jazz guitar" out of the Berkley School of Music by Garrison Fewell is my latest book on the subject. Fewell's book is proably the best book I have on the subject and is written for guitar. You can pick it up at Border's Books. It's easy to use the super arp on guitar and kind of a challange on the C6 steel, but still works because notes is notes. Jazz approaches against western swing country type stuff is pretty cool sounding and fun to apply.

[Pete Knapton]

I think this is what i've been looking for! So with a 6 stringer we tune it (low-hi) 1 b3 5 b7 9 11. is that correct? Thanks

[Edward Meisse]

I've gotta get that book myself. But I've stumbled on this particular run myself. Whenever you have a ii-V-I you really don't need to acknowledge the ii. In the key of G for instance, ii=a-c-e, V9=D-F#-a-c-e. That idea turns you loose to do all sorts of things. The verse of Honeysuckle Rose is an excellent place to put this to use.

[Terry Farmer]

Jesse, this is good stuff. Any chance you might share that source book you're writing for C6? I 'm capable of the mapping but I would like to see how you visualize it in print. I'm always looking for a shortcut or different point of view.....you know?