foundation and try to play ideas that are more rhythmically and melodically independent . Taking care to avoid using the root as a starting note for your phrases will help you to do this a little more effectively . Arpeggio inversions can help with that because they offer forms that start on the 3rd , 5th , and 7th , instead . Exercises 1a-3a demonstrate exercise forms for Gmaj7 , Gm7 , and G7 chords , and exercises 1b-3b show the fingerings that you can use to play through each form .
Using these exercises as a template , now transfer these shapes to other chords and locations on the fingerboard . The idea is to build up muscle memory for playing chord tones over any chord starting on any note found in the arpeggio . This will help you to get off of the
root as a habitual starting point but still allow you to outline the chord effectively . The next step is to use these shapes as a framework for improvisation over chord progressions , but before you can do that , I strongly recommend you get these under your fingers .
Be patient as you work on these . It is not easy to immediately shift into chordal thinking if you have been mostly leaning on scales in your playing . Learning how to target chord tones both with your ears and your eyes on the fingerboard will take some getting used to , but the payoff is immense . The key to proficiency is thinking and looking ahead as much as possible . In a future installment , we will expand on chord tone practice strategy a little more . Until then , I hope you will enjoy these exercises !
Adam Nitti Nashville-based Adam Nitti balances his roles as a solo artist , sideman , and educator . He has filled the bass chair for Kenny Loggins , Carrie Underwood , Dave Weckl Band , Michael McDonald , Susan Tedeschi , Steven Curtis Chapman , Mike Stern , Brent Mason , Wayne Krantz , and Christopher Cross , while also releasing five solo CDs to date . As a Nashville session bassist he has played on multiple Grammywinning and Grammy-nominated albums , and is also the founder of ...
AdamNittiMusicEducation . com
Exercise 1b
Exercise 1a
Exercise 2b
Exercise 2a
Exercise 3b
Exercise 3a