Approach tones for C7, position 5

We’re continuing our work with approach tones this time. Remember that all we’re doing is putting a little delay note before the real note we want to hit. This builds a little suspense and gives your melodic playing more color, whether you’re improvising or not. We continue using an approach that comes from a 1/2 step below our target note.

We did approach tones for a major arpeggio last time. Let’s do a Dominant arpeggio with approach tones a 1/2-step below. Here we go:

|---|-----------------|-----------5-6-7--|
|---|-----------------|-----5-7-8--------|
|---|---------------4-|-5-8--------------|
|---|-------4-5-7-8---|------------------|
|---|---6-7-----------|------------------|
|-7-|-8---------------|------------------|

|-8-5-6-----------|----------------------|
|-------7-8---5---|----------------------|
|-----------8-----|-5--------------------|
|---------------9-|---7-8-4-5------------|
|-----------------|-----------6-7--------|
|-----------------|---------------7-8----|

These are all eighth notes. The very first one should be started on an up beat, so you come down in measure two on a strong beat.

I know that descent gets a bit tricky when you first try this. You’re going to give your pinky a workout, which may be like a jump into a cold shower on a snowy day if you don’t even use your pinky now. But first, you don’t have to use this fingering, and second, this exercise gets easier (and sounds better) the more you do it. But you probably already know that.

Thanks for reading.

Copyright © 2008 Darrin Koltow

This first appeared in the Guitar Noise News – April 1, 2006 newsletter. Reprinted with permission.