Voice Leading Arpeggios
Example 1
In the first example, we start off with playing up Dm7 arpeggio. We land on the note C on
beat four. Next, the nearest chord tone of the next chord (G7) is its 3rd (note B). From that
place we play down the arpeggio finishing on 5th (note D). Now, nearest chord tones of
CMaj7 chord are its 3rd (note E) or the root (note C). We decide to play the root and we
ascend the arpeggio playing note B on last beat. Now, nearest chord tones of A7 are its 3rd
(C#) or the root (A), again we decide to play root and now we decend (play down) that arpeggio.
D m7 G7 C Maj7 A7
R b3 5 b7 3 R b7 5 R 3 5 7 R b7 5 3
5 4 4 2
7 5 3 2 5 5 2
5 8 5 3 4
R b3 5 b7 3 R b7 5 R 3 5 7 R b7 5 3
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Example 2
In the first example we started 3 out of 4 measures with the root notes. In example 2 we are going
to approach different chord tones on first beats. However, first chord Dm7 we are going to play
the same way as in example 1 so we play up the arpeggio starting on the root (D) and we finish
on the note C on the beat four. Now, instead of picking the 3rd of G7 chord, we are going to go
to its 5th (note D) and from there we decend that arpeggio. We finished on note F (b7) of G7chord.
Now, we are going to chose the 3rd and play up the CMaj7 arpeggio. We landed on the root of
that chord (Cmaj7) and now, the nearest chord tone of A7 is its 3rd (C#). From that place we
descend A7 arpeggio and we finish on its 5th (note E). That way we started 3 out of 4 measures
with chord tones diiferent than root note.
Dm7 G7 C Maj7 A7
R b3 5 b7 5 3 R b7 3 5 7 R 3 R b7 5
5 7 4 4 5 6
7 5 3 2 5 7 5
5 8 7
R b3 5 b7 5 3 R b7 3 5 7 R 3 R b7 5
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Example 3
So far, in both previous examples we have been playing our arpeggios up, then down,
up and down. Now we are going to change the conteur of our line by changing direction
we play our arpeggios. We are starting with playing up Dm7 chord. We are approaching
G7 chord from its 5th and like in the previous example we play down the arpeggio. So, far
we are not doing enything new. We are finishing playing G7 chord on its b7 (note F) and now
we start CMaj7 chord from its 5th (note G) but instead of playing this arpeggio up like in both
previous examples, we are now continuing playing down. We finish that chord on natural
seventh (note B) and we are approaching A7 chord from its root (note A) and we ascend that
arpeggio up until fifth (note E) where we change direction and we go back down to third
(note C#) so we can finish half step down from the root of Dm7.
D m7 G7 C Maj7 A7
R b3 5 b7 5 3 R b7 5 3 R 7 R 3 5 3
5 7 4
7 5 3 5 2
5 8 3 2 4 7 4
5
R b3 5 b7 5 3 R b7 5 3 R 7 R 3 5 3
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Example 4
In this example, first two chords look exactly the same as in first example. We play up Dm7
arpeggio and then down G7 starting on its 3rd. We land on note D (5th of G7) and instead of
going to the root of CMaj7 we are now going to its 3rd (note E) and we play down the arpeggio
landing on note G (5th of CMaj7). Nearest chord tone of A7 chord is its root (note A) and the
same like in the last example we play up the arpeggio until we reach 5th (note E) and then we
go back down to the 3rd (note (C#).
D m7 G7 C Maj7 A7
R b3 5 b7 3 R b7 5 3 R 7 5 R 3 5 3
5 4
7 5 3 2
5 8 5 3 2 4 7 4
3 5
R b3 5 b7 3 R b7 5 3 R 7 5 R 3 5 3
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