Guitar Practice
Major 6 Arpeggios
Major 6 chords and arpeggios are a versatile alternative to standard major chords, offering a warmer, more colorful sound without the tension of a major 7th. They're built by combining the 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th degrees of the major scale. For example, a C6 chord contains the notes C, E, G, and A.
The corresponding major 6 arpeggio uses those same four notes. Practicing major 6 arpeggios across the fretboard is a great way to connect chord shapes and develop melodic vocabulary. Because the 6th adds a smooth, consonant sound, these arpeggios work well in jazz, country, pop, blues, and even fusion.
Major 6 chords have a lot of flexibility. In jazz, they're often used in place of plain major triads or major 7 chords, especially at the end of a tune where a less "resolved" sound is desired. They're also closely related to the relative minor: C6 (CāEāGāA) contains the exact same notes as Am7 (AāCāEāG), making it easy to move between major and minor sounds when improvising.
Below, we'll take a look at 3 different ways (ie. voicings) to play Major 6 arpeggios, and run through them in a 12-bar blues. A basic blues progression can be a nice way to practice chords and arpeggios, due to the repetitive nature of the chords.
Shape 1:
Shape 2:
Shape 3:
News & Notes šļø
- Fender announced a new '62 Deluxe amp reissue. It features a 1962 Deluxe 6G3 circuit with all-tube design, Two 6V6 output tubes, three 12AX7 preamp tubes, & one GZ34 rectifier tube, and a Single 12ā CelestionĀ® Custom Design speaker. 20 Watts. MSRP is $1,699.
- In other Fender amp news, though it hasn't been announced yet, a new tweed Tone Master '59 Twin JB (Joe Bonamassa) Edition leaked on their website. The listing has been pulled down, but it was temporarily live.
- Martin announced a limited edition HD-28 Semiquincentennial acoustic guitar. It celebrates 250 years of American independenceāfeaturing wood from the legendary Basking Ridge white oak with Golden Era appointments and custom artwork. Check out Alamo Music Center's review of it.
- Rick Beato posted a new interview with guitarist Eric Gales. They chatted about gear, how he gets his signature tone, and Eric shared insights into his wide range of musical influences.
- Lukas Nelson joined The Other 22 Hours podcast. They talked about shedding expectations (around being Willie Nelson's son), the antidote to egos, and training like an Olympian. Apple | Spotify
- Julian Lage teamed up with Guitar Center for a video honoring the 75th Anniversary of the Telecaster.
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