Guitar Lesson: The m7 Root Position Arpeggio Fingering | Los Angeles or Skype Guitar Lessons with Vreny

The m7 Root Position Arpeggio Fingering.

Before tackling the m7 arpeggio, feel free to have a look first at the minor triad arpeggio here: Minor triad In-Position Arpeggios

The formula of the m7 chord is: 1 b3 5 b7

All chords and scales have what you call “a formula”.
A “formula” represents the interval pattern that makes up a given chord or scale.

The formula for the m7 chord shows that a m7 chord consists of:

1, also called “the root of the chord. This is the note that gives the chord its name: the note on top of which the chord is built, represented with the number 1.
A note a minor 3rd above the root. (b3)
A note a 5th above the root. (5)
A note a minor 7th above the root. (b7)

Assigning the note A to 1, gives you: A C E G

A is the root,
C is the minor 3rd (b3),
E is the 5th (5) and
G is the minor 7th (b7)

This is called an Am7 chord.

There are three m7 chords in a major scale: on II (the 2nd note in the scale), on III (the 3rd note in the scale), and on VI (the 6th note in the scale)

In the key of C this is:

Dm7 = D F A C, and
Em7 = E G B D, and
Am7 = A C E G

Here’s the fingering for the root position Am7 chord.

am7-arpeggio-root

Move that fingering up to the 10th fret, to play the notes of a Dm7 chord.
Move that fingering up to the 12th fret, to play the notes of an Em7 chord.

This gives you all the 3 minor chords in the C major scale and the A minor scale.

Following chord progression is in the key of A minor.
The A minor scale has the same 7 notes as a C major scale. We call these “relative scales” in music theory.

Solo over ||: Am7 | Am7 | Dm7 | Dm7 | Em7 | Em7:||

If this above chord progression would have started on a C chord, it would have been in the key of C major.
Because it starts on an Am chord, the chord progression sounds in the key of A minor.

The following video covers the fingering and shows how to solo over the above progression.

Once you get comfortable soloing with this fingering over the above chord progression, let’s move on to the following II V I progression.

As you might know, the most common chord progression in jazz is: II V I

In the key of C:

||: Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 | Cmaj7 :||

You can use this chord progression to practice the newly learned m7 arpeggio.
For extra practice: try to keep all your fingerings for the 3 different chords, as close as possible.
Here are the closest Dm, G7, and Cmaj7 fingerings:

Over the Dm7 chord: use the m7 root arpeggio. (Which is the fingering you learned above, starting on the 10th fret)
Over the G7 chord: use the 2nd inversion dominant 7 chord fingering (on the 10th fret)
Over the Cmaj7 chord: use the 1st inversion maj7 fingering (on the 12th fret)

If you need to review the V7 arpeggio, you can do so here:
The V7 Arpeggio.
(You would use the 2nd inversion fingering)

If you need to review the Cmaj7 arpeggio, you can do so here:
The maj7 1st inversion Arpeggio.

Here’s a video showcasing how this works:

Learning these arpeggios really well will greatly boost your soloing power.
The more you do the above exercises, the sooner you’ll master those fingerings.

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you would like me to send you backing tracks for any of the above chord progressions, if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.
You’re on your way to becoming a great guitar player.
Have fun! 🙂

Conclusion

Hit me up anytime at vreny@zotzinmusic.com if you have any questions, or if you would like to book a lesson.

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That is why people take lessons: way better results and progress, much more complete information, exposed to way more creative ideas than you can get from a blog or YouTube video.
There is only so much that self-study can accomplish.

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