Creating Synchronicity eBook by Scott Hesse

Creating

Synchronicity

How to Improve Left Hand/Right Hand

Coordination with Legato Arpeggios

1

Creating Synchronicity

Scott Hesse, Creating Synchronicity, www.scotthesse.com

Table of Contents

Preface………………………………………………………………………..…3

Introduction………………………………………………………………….…..6

Part 1 – Major Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string ….……….…………….…10

Part 2 – Minor Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string …………………………...17

Part 3 – Dominant Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string ……………………….23

Part 4 – Half-diminished Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string…………….…..29

Part 5 – Diminished Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string……………………...35

Part 6 – Major Seventh Arpeggio, A-string………………………………….41

Part 7 – Minor Seventh Arpeggio, A-string………………………………….47

Part 8 – Dominant Seventh Arpeggio, A-string……………………………..52

Part 9 – Half-diminished Seventh Arpeggio, A-string………………….…..57

Part 10 – Diminished Seventh Arpeggio, A-string…………………….……62

Conclusion—What’s the next step?…………………………………………67

About Scott Hesse…………………………………………………………….68

2




How to Improve Left Hand/Right Hand

Coordination with Legato Arpeggios

This publication is protected under the US Copyright Act of 1976 and all

other applicable international, federal, state and local laws, and all rights are

reserved.

Please do not distribute this eBook in any way. Please do not sell it, or

reprint any part of it without written consent from the author, except for the

inclusion of brief quotations in a review. Always include a link to

www.scotthesse.com.

Copyright © 2011 Scott Hesse. All rights reserved worldwide.

Preface

Some players seem to be born with great picking hands…I wasn’t. I

could never seem to get my right hand to control itself to pick really fast

like some players could. As a matter of fact, for the first four years I played

the guitar, I resigned myself to being more of a chordal player.

In 1990, I began studying with a great pianist named Henry Butler.

From lesson one, he challenged everything about my playing. Henry

forced me to figure out how to play with better technique. Since he wasn’t

a guitarist, he couldn’t really show me specific guitar techniques. So I

came up with my own techniques and fingerings. I also came up with a

way to organize the guitar so I could see and hear my way through it

better.

One of the first things I found out about myself as a player is that I

could, in fact, develop my technique to a higher level. Great technique

comes from a lot of repetitious practice, of which I did plenty. What I

learned from Henry was the discipline of practice and how to practice with

a purpose, or goal, in mind.

But I also learned that I couldn’t comfortably develop my technique

by articulating (picking) every note. Instead, I compensated for the lack of

articulated right hand technique with left hand hammer-ons and pull-offs.

4



I continued my studies with Henry for nearly three years and

developed what I thought was pretty solid technique on the guitar. It

wasn’t until I met guitar guru Rodney Jones in 1992 that I realized how

much I was still missing. He was able to tie together many loose ends by

addressing ideas that only an experienced guitarist would recognize. In

short, Rodney focused my perception of playing the guitar. The mechanics

of my technique needed to match what I was trying to do conceptually.

Both Henry and Rodney instilled in me the desire to develop my own

voice through the guitar. One of the deepest revelations I’ve had is

that, even though we may have great teachers along the way, we still

are largely self-taught. I say that not to minimize the role that Henry and

Rodney, or any other teacher I’ve had along the way, played. Truly, I

would not be where I’m at without their love and guidance. I am grateful

beyond words for them.

But a teacher can only show the student a door to another room.

Each new room holds several key pieces of relevant information about how

to get better. The student has the option of entering that room. If the

student decides to enter, then the responsibility is on the student to find as

much as he/she can in that room to get to another level of mastery.

The point is that with any information you receive, be it from a book

or a person, you should dig into it…discover what’s in it. That way you

5



make that information your own. You will think about it in your own way

and express it in your own way. Be as diligent as possible.

And so it is with the information in this book. What you will find in

here is a particular way to play arpeggios. It’s not the only way to do it, but

it is effective. As a student, your job is to take what you find here and

make it your own. Construct your own exercises using the techniques I

give you and see where it takes you.

6



Introduction

Before you can play at a high level on the guitar, you need to get

your head and your hands working together. Your brain is naturally way

ahead of your hands. But if you don’t coordinate the two, you won’t sound

together. Here’s one of the first secrets to creating the synchronicity you

need: Master your picking technique. Being able to improvise at a high

level requires that you have technical command over your instrument.

What is technical command? It means that whatever you hear in

your head commands what you play on your instrument. It also means

your technique is mastered to the point where you don’t have to think

about HOW to play something. You do the thinking in the practice room,

so that in performance you can focus on what’s happening in the moment.

This book contains a number of exercises to improve your technical

command of arpeggios using legato picking. Legato picking is a picking

style that uses a combination of articulated and non-articulated

notes. The non-articulated notes replace picked notes with hammer-ons

or pull-offs.

With regular practice, you will internalize this approach. Eventually,

the mechanics will become natural. When that happens, then you can just

be in the moment with your technique completely at your command.

7



The System

This book contains ten sections which feature arpeggio fingerings for

each of the five types of seventh chords. Briefly, they are Major 7th, Minor

7th, Dominant 7th, Half-diminished 7th, and Diminished 7th.

The exercises show fingerings with starting points on the low E-

string and then the A-string. Parts 1 through 5 deal with fingerings from

the low E-string and parts 6 through 10 use the A-string as the starting

point. In my experience, it is advantageous to internalize fingerings from

these two strings. Connecting the guitar neck from position to position

becomes easier.

I think of the low E and A-strings as the “Parent Strings.” Most

fingerings I’ve learned for arpeggios, chords, or scales begin on these two

strings. From there, it’s a matter of extending the range of a given

passage to the other strings through parallel fingerings. (Parallel

fingerings are a topic for another book.)

Throughout this book, each arpeggio is shown in two octaves and

generally in one position. I’ve kept the horizontal movements to a

minimum. Though, as you’ll see, there are a couple of fingerings that

break out of the original fret position.

The fingerings themselves all have a string pattern to follow. Each

arpeggio begins with two notes on the first string, then one on the next.

8



This pattern of two notes then one note (2-1) on a string continues through

the range of the arpeggio.

I did this for two reasons. One, it makes it easier to coordinate the

two hands when a pattern like this is established. And, two, because of

the intervallic spacing between the notes of an arpeggio, playing a 2-1

pattern is more logical.

For strings that contain two notes, you pick the first note, then

hammer-on or pull-off the second. As you ascend through the arpeggio,

you use a hammer-on. As you descend, you use a pull-off. Notes on the

staff that are hammer-ons or pull-offs are shown with a slur symbol. The

diagram also indicates when to use a down stroke or upstroke picking

motion.

In order to keep with the 2-1 pattern of string organization, the

exercises show stretched-finger positions. A stretched position is where

either the first or the fourth finger is stretched one fret up or down from the

original four-finger position. In this case, all the arpeggios included here

use the first finger stretched down a fret.

There are three ways to see the arpeggio fingerings in this book.

First, the arpeggio is written on a music staff. Second, the notes also

appear in tablature form below the music staff, because it’s important to

9



see in which fret I’m putting the fingerings. The third way to see the

fingering is with a diagram that shows the arpeggio in its entirety.

Though each example shows the entire fingering, the diagrams

cover the fingering string by string. The specific notes to play on a

particular string will be shown as circles. All other notes in the diagram will

be dots. Also shown are the fingerings and fret positions for each

arpeggio. I believe it is important to recognize the fingering as a

“sound shape” on the instrument. Eventually, that may be a quicker

way to see or hear your way through the guitar.

Once you work your way through the given key centers in this book,

you should play each arpeggio in every position. That way you will learn

the fingerings in all 12 keys. Then you will be on your way to technical

mastery.

10



Part 1 – Major Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string

When using legato picking for the arpeggios starting on the Low E-string, a

full two-octave arpeggio is achieved. In the following examples, I’ll take

you through each string for this Major 7th arpeggio fingering.

Example 1

As you can see below, the first two notes of the GMaj7 arpeggio (G and B)

are played on the low E-string in the 3rd and 7th frets. Using the 1st and 4th

fingers to play these notes, the first note is picked as a down stroke in the

right hand. The second is played by hammering-on with the 4th finger.

Example 2

The next note (D) is played on the A string with the 2nd finger in the 5th fret.

Use an upstroke in the pick hand. Remember that just because hammer-

ons and pull-offs are used, you should still employ the alternate picking

method. It can be easy to fall in to the habit of using only down strokes in

11



the right hand. Ultimately, if you can keep alternate picking, it will make for

cleaner and faster technique when you put it all together.

Example 3

This next string can be a little tricky at first, but with practice it becomes

natural. Since we used just one note on the previous string, it means two

notes need to be placed on the D-string. The F# and G are played in the

4th and 5th frets respectively. The F# is played with the 1st finger, but the G

is played with the 3rd finger. This is awkward, but the rest of the arpeggio

fingering is set up by this maneuver. Make sure the F# is played with a

down stroke with the pick hand. And, when you play the G, hammer-on

with the 3rd finger.

12



Example 4

Once you get to the G-string, the note B is played in the 4th fret with the

2nd finger. This note is played with an upstroke from the pick hand.

Example 5

The next notes in this second octave of the arpeggio are D and F#. They

are both played on the B-string using a 1st to 4th finger stretch from the

3rd to the 7th frets. As with the other strings with two notes, play the first

note with a down stroke and hammer-on the second note with the

4th finger.

13



Example 6

Now your task is to descend back through the arpeggio. The highest note,

G, is played in the 3rd fret with the 1st finger. Use an upstroke.

Example 7

That sets you up to play the next notes F# down to D on the B-string. You

can use the same pathway going down on the fret board as you did

coming up the arpeggio. Since you’re descending through the arpeggio,

remember that anytime you encounter two notes on a string the first note

will be picked as a down stroke. The second note will now be a pull-off.

14



Example 8

Continuing down through the arpeggio, the next note you play is B with the

2nd finger in the 4th fret of the G-string. This is a string with a single note on

it that is played with an upstroke.

Example 9

The D-string has the next two notes on it which are G and F#. This is the

half-way point through the two octave arpeggio. And, as you did with the

ascending version of the arpeggio, you use the 1st and 3rd fingers to

navigate this portion of the arpeggio. Using a down stroke pick, the

3rd finger plays the G in the 5th fret which then pulls-off to sound the F#

under the 1st finger in the 4th fret.

15



Example 10

Your position on the fret board is now back in the original location where

the arpeggio began. This allows you to play the one note on the A-string in

the 5th fret, which is D. This is played with an upstroke in the right hand

and with the 2nd finger in the left hand.

Example 11

The last two notes of the arpeggio are B down to G located on the low E-

string. Located in the 7th and 3rd frets respectively, these notes are played

with the 4th finger pulling off to the 1st finger.

16



The Legato style of playing these arpeggios is set up so that you can play

the arpeggio in a loop. The right hand techniques will be the same

throughout as will the left hand fingerings. When you play any of these

arpeggio fingerings, play them as a continuous exercise for as long as you

can. Start with two minutes of non-stop playing and gradually work up to

at least ten minutes. This develops the necessary muscle memory for fluid

technique.

17



Part 2 – Minor Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string

As you go through all of the Seventh Chord arpeggios in this Legato

system, you’ll notice that the 2-1 pattern remains. Everything you do in the

right hand is the same for each arpeggio. Uniformity is one of the

strengths of this method. Only the notes in the left hand will change.

Example 12

To begin the Minor Seventh arpeggio, the first two notes (G and Bb) on the

low E-string are played with the 1st and 4th fingers in the 3rd and 6th frets.

Start with a down stroke for the first note (G) and hammer-on the second

note (Bb).

Example 13

On the A-string, the next note of the arpeggio, D, is played in the 5th fret

with the 3rd finger. An upstroke is used to pick this note.

18



Example 14

Moving to the D-string, you find the next two notes of the arpeggio

fingering, F and G in the 3rd and 5th frets. The F is played with the 1st finger

and with a down stroke in the right hand. Play the G by hammering-on with

the 3rd finger.

Example 15

The next note, Bb, is played on the G-string in the 3rd fret with the

1st finger. This is the only note for this string and is picked with an

upstroke.

19



Example 16

The B-string has the two notes of D and F on it. The D is in the 3rd fret and

the F is in the 6th fret. Once again, the system for two notes on a string is

to pick the first note with a down stroke and hammer the second. So the D

in the 3rd fret is played with the 1st finger and you hammer-on the F with the

4th.

Example 17

Now that you’re at the high E-string, there is only one note left to play in

this second octave. This is also the turn-around point to start descending

back down the arpeggio. Play the note G in the 3rd fret of the high E-

string with the 1st finger. Pick this note with an upstroke in the right hand.

20



The descent down the rest of the arpeggio will again use the same

fingering as in the ascending pattern, but in reverse order as is the case

with the Major Seventh arpeggio.

Example 18

Back to the B-string, you will play the notes F to D. This is done by picking

the first of the two notes, the F in the 6th fret, with a down stroke and

pulling-off with the 4th finger to the D in the 3rd fret.

21



Example 19

Your next note is Bb in the 3rd fret of the G-string. This is played with the

1st finger and as an upstroke.

Example 20

You’ll find the notes G down to F on the D-string. The G is played with the

3rd finger in the 5th fret and with an upstroke from the left hand. Pull-off to

the F played by your 1st finger in the 3rd fret.

Example 21

On the A-string you find the single note D. This is played in the 5th fret with

the 3rd finger and you use an upstroke to pick it.

22



Example 22

The last two notes on the low E-string are Bb in the 6th fret down to G in

the 3rd. Play the Bb with the 4th finger, down stroke pick, and pull-off to the

G played with your 1st finger.

23



Part 3 – Dominant Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-String

The Dominant Seventh arpeggio has a position shift built into it. It’s not

that difficult, but it will be something you need to get used to for this

system.

Example 23

It begins with the notes G and B played in the 3rd and 7th frets with the

1st and 4th fingers. The picking motion should be familiar by now. Use a

down stroke for the first note and hammer-on the second.

Example 24

The lone note on the A-string, D, is played with the 2nd finger in the 5th fret.

You play this with an upstroke.

24



Example 25

Here is where the position shift for this arpeggio occurs. The two notes

that you play on the D-string are F to G. Use the 1st finger to play the F in

the 3rd fret. Then hammer-on to the G in the 5th fret with your 3rd finger.

The picking motion is a down stroke, then hammer-on.

Example 26

For the rest of the ascending arpeggio, you will stay in this position without

a stretch. So the note you play on the G-string is B. Play this with your

2nd finger in the 4th fret and with an upstroke.

25



Example 27

Your next two notes on the B-string are D up to F. The D is played with

the 1st finger in the 3rd fret and the F with the 4th finger in the

6th fret. Down stroke, hammer-on.

Example 28

The last note of the ascending Dominant Seventh arpeggio is the tonic

note, G. Play this in the 3rd fret with your 1st finger. As with all the strings

with a single note on it, use an upstroke.

26



Example 29

Descending down the Dominant 7th arpeggio finds you back at the B-

string. Remember that you are just playing the reverse order of the notes

you played on the way up the arpeggio. Finger the first note on this string,

F, with the 4th finger and pull-off to the D under the 1st finger. The picking

motion is down stroke, pull-off.

Example 30

Pick the note B, found in the 4th fret of the G-string, with an upstroke.

27



Example 31

Play the G down to F on the D-string in the 5th and 3rd frets. You play the

G as an upstroke with the third finger, and then pull-off to the F in the

3rd fret under the 1st finger.

Example 32

As you work back through the arpeggio, the next note is the D found in the

5th fret of the A-string. Here is where you transition back to the original

stretched position with which you began. Since this is the only note played

on this string, play it with your 2nd finger and with an upstroke.

28



Example 33

To finish this arpeggio, use your 4th finger to play the B in the 7th fret with a

down stroke. Then pull-off to the last note, G in the 3rd fret.

29



Part 4 – Half-diminished Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string

The Half-diminished Seventh arpeggio presents another challenge

because of a position shift similar to the one used for the Dominant

Seventh arpeggio.

Example 34

Your first two notes on the E-string are G in the 3rd fret up to Bb in the

6th played with the 1st and 4th fingers. Use a down stroke and hammer-on.

Example 35

The only note you play on the A-string is the Db in the 4th fret. Use the

2nd finger and an upstroke for this note.

30



Example 36

As in the Dominant Seventh arpeggio, the position shift occurs here on the

D-string. The two notes you play are F in the 3rd fret up to the G in the 5th.

But with the shift, you play the F with the 1st finger and the G with the

4th finger. Down stroke, hammer-on. You are now set to play out of

second position on the fret board for the next portion of the fingering.

Example 37

You play only the note Bb in the 3rd fret of the G-string. Use an upstroke.

31



Example 38

The fingering for the next two notes on the B-string is a stretched

fingering. Your notes are the Db in the 2nd fret with the 1st finger up to the

F in the 6th with your 4th finger. Down stroke, hammer-on.

Example 39

Your final note is the G in the 3rd fret of the high E-string. Use your

1st finger and an upstroke to play this note. You are temporarily back in

third position here.

32



Example 40

For the descent back down the Half-diminished Seventh arpeggio, you

stretch back down with the 1st finger to be in second position on the B-

string. First play the 4th finger in the 6th fret as a down stroke for the F.

Then pull-off to the Db in the 2nd fret under the 1st finger.

Example 41

Now that you’re back to the G-string, you play the Bb in the 3rd fret with the

2nd finger. This is the only note here, so use an upstroke.

33



Example 42

You are at the D-string now and ready to shift back to the original position

with the two notes you play on this string. First, the G in the 5th fret is

played with the 4th finger. Then you use the 1st finger to play the note F in

the 3rd fret. Down stroke and pull-off.

Example 43

The next note you play is the Db in the 4th fret of the A-string. Play this

with the 2nd finger and an upstroke.

34



Example 44

Play the last two notes on the low E-string. They are Bb in the 6th fret with

the 4th finger down to G with the 1st finger in the 3rd fret. Down stroke and

pull-off.

35



Part 5 – Diminished Seventh Arpeggio, Low E-string

The Diminished Seventh Arpeggio is quite similar to the Half-diminished

Seventh. There is only a one note difference between the two: an Fb

(enharmonically speaking, an E) instead of an F-natural. This actually

makes it easier to play even though a position shift occurs as in the Half-

diminished.

Example 45

G and Bb will be played in the 3rd and 6th frets of the low E-string with your

1st and 4th fingers. Picking motion is down stroke, hammer-on.

Example 46

The 2nd finger plays the Db in the 4th fret of the A-string. Use an upstroke.

36



Example 47

Now to the D-string where the position shift occurs. Move your 1st finger

back to the 2nd fret to play the note Fb with a down stroke. Once you get to

second position, you stay in it for the remainder of the arpeggio. Hammer-

on to the 4th finger in the 5th fret for the note G.

Example 48

You use the 2nd finger to play the lone note on the G-string as you did on

the A-string. This is Bb in the 3rd fret. Use an upstroke.

37



Example 49

Play a down stroke for the Db in the 2nd fret of the B-string with your

1st finger. Then hammer-on to the Fb in the 5th fret with your 4th finger.

Example 50

The top note of the ascending Diminished Seventh arpeggio is the G which

is played in the 3rd fret of the high E-string. Use your 2nd finger and an

upstroke to play it.

38



Example 51

For the descent back down the arpeggio, go back to the B-string. Use

your 4th finger to play the Fb in the 5th fret with a down stroke. Pull-off to

the Db in the 2nd fret under your 1st finger.

Example 52

The next note you play is the Bb found in the 3rd fret of the G-string. Use

your 2nd finger and an upstroke for this note.

39



Example 53

Once again, you use a 4th finger to 1st finger down stroke/pull-off in playing

the G down to the Fb on the D-string.

Example 54

Your only note to play on the A-string is the Db in the 4th fret. Shift over a

position so you can play this note with your 2nd finger. Use an upstroke.

40



Example 55

To complete the Diminished Seventh arpeggio, use another 4th finger to

1st finger down stroke/pull-off to play the notes on the low E-string. This is

Bb in the 6th down to G in the 3rd fret.

41



Part 6 – Major Seventh Arpeggio, A-string

Now that you’ve gone through the five types of seventh chord

arpeggios starting from the low E-string, you can try them starting on the

A-string. Many of the fingerings will be similar, but they will have slight

differences because of the tuning between the G and B-strings. Being

able to have a “go-to” fingering, with starting points on the low E and A-

strings for each type of seventh chord, is invaluable. It allows you

eventually to connect across the neck in a more logical manner.

The biggest difference in the phrasing of the A-string based

arpeggios comes from the fact that the starting point allows you to only go

up five strings. Normally, this would leave you one note shy of an evenly

numbered two-measure phrase. To correct this, I put a note at the end of

the arpeggio that I call a turn-around note. It usually falls on the 5th of the

chord and makes the phrase work out so the resolution points line up with

the beginning of the measure.

All of these arpeggios will be in the key of C. Remember, of course,

to practice these in all keys once you get the fingerings down in C.

42



Example 56

You will need a stretched finger position for the Major Seventh arpeggio.

Begin with your 1st finger in the 3rd fret of the A-string and play it with a

down stroke. This is your C. Now hammer-on to the note E with your

4th finger in the 7th fret of the A-string.

Example 57

G is the only note you play on the D-string. Play it with your 2nd finger and

with an upstroke.

43



Example 58

On the G-string, you have two notes to play. B is the first note you play in

the 4th fret with the 1st finger. The second note you play is C with the

2nd finger in the 5th fret. Use a down stroke for the first note and hammer-

on for the second.

Example 59

For the only note played on the B-string, you roll your 2nd finger up from the

G-string note to hit the E in the 5th fret. Picking motion is an upstroke.

Example 60

With this set of arpeggios starting from the A-string, the high E-string will

have three notes played on it, though only two notes are different. The first

note is the G in the 3rd fret played with the 1st finger. Next, is the B in the

44



7th fret played with the 4th finger. Last, you again play the G in the 3rd fret

with the 1st finger. The picking motion is down stroke, upstroke, pull-off.

With that last pull-off, you’re already beginning the descending arpeggio.

Example 61

This descending arpeggio also features another different picking motion.

For the note you play on the B-string, the E, use your 2nd finger and

another upstroke. This makes two upstrokes in a row from the high-E to

the B-string. Generally you would want to keep the alternate picking

pattern intact. But, you need to do this here to set up the rest of the

picking motion of the descending arpeggio.

45



Example 62

The G-string has two notes on it. The C in the 5th fret is played with the

2nd finger as a down stroke and pulls-off to the 1st finger note, the B, in the

4th fret.

Example 63

Your 2nd finger in the 5th fret plays the note G on the D-string. Use an

upstroke.

Example 64

You are now back to the original string and first two notes of the Major

Seventh arpeggio. The note E is played with the 4th finger in the 7th fret as

a down stroke. Pull-off to the C in the 3rd fret under the 1st finger.

46



Example 65

There needs to be one more note in this arpeggio to make it an even

phrase of eight notes. So, this is where the “turn-around” note comes in.

Go down to the low E-string for the G in the 3rd fret. Play this with your

1st finger and use an upstroke.

47



Part 7 – Minor Seventh Arpeggio, A-string

Example 66

This arpeggio starts with you playing the C and Eb on the A-string with

your 1st and 4th fingers. Picking motion is down stroke, hammer-on.

Example 67

Only one note for the D-string: play the G in the 5th fret with your 3rd finger.

Use an upstroke.

Example 68

There are two notes on the G-string: Bb in the 3rd fret with the 1st finger

and C in the 5th fret with the 3rd finger. Down stroke, hammer-on.

48



Example 69

Eb is played in the 4th fret with the 2nd finger on the B-string. This is played

with an upstroke.

Example 70

Here is the point where you play three notes on a string. The first note, G,

is played with a down stroke and with the 1st finger in the 3rd fret. Then, the

Bb in the 6th fret is played as an upstroke with the 4th finger and pulls-off

back to the G in the 3rd fret.

49



Example 71

Go back to the B-string for the only note played, the Eb in the 4th fret with

the 2nd finger. Use an upstroke.

Example 72

The next two notes in the descending arpeggio are C in the 5th fret and Bb

in the 3rd fret of the G-string. Use the 3rd finger for the C and a down

stroke, then pull-off to the Bb under the 1st finger.

50



Example 73

The D-string has a single note. Play the G in the 5th fret with your 3rd finger

and use an upstroke.

Example 74

For the original starting point of the A-string, play the Eb with your 4th finger

in the 6th fret with a down stroke. Pull-off to C in the 3rd fret under your

1st finger.

51



Example 75

The turn-around note is again the G in the 3rd fret of the low E-string.

Picking motion is an upstroke.

52



Part 8 – Dominant Seventh Arpeggio, A-string

Example 76

For the Dominant Seventh arpeggio you will again use a stretched

fingering as in the Major Seventh. So the notes C to E on the A-string are

played with the 1st finger in the 3rd fret and the 4th finger in the 6th. Down

stroke, hammer-on.

Example 77

The only note of the D-string is the note G. Play this with your 2nd finger in

the 5th fret and with an upstroke.

53



Example 78

Once you’re to the G-string, you play the two notes Bb up to C. You will

also use a position shift on this string to set you up for the rest of the

arpeggio. The Bb is played with your 1st finger in the 3rd fret. Then you

shift so you can play the C in the 5th fret with your 3rd finger.

Example 79

The B-string only has one note. Play the E in the 5th fret with your

3rd finger and use an upstroke.

Example 80

You have three notes on the high E-string to play. First, play the G in the

3rd fret with your 1st finger. Then play Bb in the 6th fret with your 4th finger

54



which is followed by the G in the 3rd again. Picking motion is down stroke,

upstroke, pull-off.

Example 81

The E in the 5th fret of the B-string is the only note played there. Play it

with your 3rd finger and use an upstroke.

Example 82

Continuing down the arpeggio, the next two notes are C down to Bb on the

G-string. C is played with your 3rd finger in the 5th fret and Bb is played

with your 1st finger in the 3rd fret. Picking motion is down stroke, pull-off.

55



Example 83

Play the G in the 5th fret of the D-string with your 2nd finger. This allows

you to shift back to the original hand position for the last part of the

descending arpeggio. Use an upstroke for this note.

Example 84

Now that you’re back to the original position on the A-string you play the

notes E down to C. The E is played with the 4th finger in the 7th fret to the

1st finger in the 3rd fret for C. Picking is down stroke, pull-off.

56



Example 85

For the turn-around, the G is played on the low E-string in the 3rd fret with

the 1st finger. Pick this as an upstroke.

57



Part 9 – Half-diminished Seventh Arpeggio, A-string

This arpeggio fingering is all in one position, but it combines a regular four-

finger position with a stretched position at the top of the arpeggio.

Example 86

Begin with a regular hand position in the 3rd fret of the A-string with your 1st

finger on the note C. After playing the C with a down stroke, hammer-on to

the Eb in the 6th fret with your 4th finger.

Example 87

Your only note to play on the D-string is Gb in the 4th fret with the 2nd

finger. Use an upstroke.

58



Example 88

At the G-string, you have two notes: Bb in the 3rd fret up to C in the 5th.

The Bb is played with your 1st finger and uses a down stroke. Hammer-on

to the C under your 3rd finger.

Example 89

The B-string has the single note on it of Eb. You play this with your 2nd

finger in the 4th fret and with an upstroke.

59



Example 90

At the high E-string, you now employ the stretched fingering. So you need

to stretch down to the 2nd fret with your 1st finger in order to play the Gb

there. Use a down stroke. Then make an upstroke to hit the Bb in the 6th

fret with your 4th finger. Pull-off back to the Gb under the 1st finger to start

the descent down the Half-diminished seventh arpeggio.

Example 91

Back on your B-string, you play the Eb again with your 2nd finger in the 4th

fret. Use an upstroke.

60



Example 92

On the G-string, use a down stroke to play the C in the 5th fret with your 3rd

finger. Then pull-off to the Bb in the 3rd fret under the 1st finger.

Example 93

The single note on the D-string is the Gb in the 4th fret. Use your 2nd finger

and an upstroke to play this.

61



Example 94

For the Eb and C found on the A-string, use your 4th finger in the 6th fret

with a down stroke and then pull-off to the 3rd fret under the 1st finger.

Example 95

Your turn-around note for this arpeggio is Ab. Play this in the 4th fret of the

low E-string with your 2nd finger. Use an upstroke.

62



Part 10 – Diminished Seventh Arpeggio, A-string

For the Diminished Seventh arpeggio, a position shift is required. It

happens in the top half of the arpeggio and only shifts downward by one

fret.

Example 96

As in the Half-diminished arpeggio fingering, your first two notes are C and

Eb on the A-string. These are played with a down stroke for the 1st finger

note in the 3rd fret, then hammer-on to the Eb in the 6th fret under the 4th

finger.

Example 97

The only note for the D-string is the Gb in the 4th fret. Use your 2nd finger

and an upstroke to play it.

63



Example 98

For the two notes on the G-string, you shift your hand position down a fret.

Now you’re in the 2nd fret and can play the Bbb with your 1st finger. Use a

down stroke. Hammer-on to the C in the 5th fret with your 4th finger.

The rest of the arpeggio stays in this position.

Example 99

Continuing up to the B-string, the note Eb is played in the 4th fret with your

3rd finger. Use an upstroke.

64



Example 100

Up on the high E-string, you play Gb in the 2nd fret with your 2nd finger.

Use a down stroke. Then, pick up to play the Bbb in the 5th fret with your

4th finger. Lastly, pull-off from the Bbb back to the Gb.

Example 101

Descending to the B-string, play the note Eb with your 3rd finger in the 4th

fret. Use an upstroke.

65



Example 102

To the G-string, play the C in the 5th fret with your 3rd finger and with a

down stroke. Then, pull-off down to the Bbb in the 2nd fret.

Example 103

Only note to play on the D-string is the Gb in the 4th fret. This is where you

shift back up one position to play the rest of the descending arpeggio. The

Gb is played with the 2nd finger and with an upstroke.

66



Example 104

Use a down stroke for the Eb under the 4th finger in the 6th fret of the A-

string. Then pull-off to the C under the 1st finger in the 3rd fret.

Example 105

For the turn-around note, use the Bbb (A) in the 5th fret of the low E-string.

Play it with your 3rd finger and with an upstroke.

67



Conclusion—What’s the next step? My hope for you, in working through this book, is that you will

understand the guitar on a deeper level. There is no end to learning, and

that can be a daunting realization. So organizing your work on the

instrument is of the utmost importance.

The exercises contained in this book give you another way to play

on the guitar neck. Being able to synchronize your head with your hands

takes a lot of work and study. With time and effort, these ideas will evolve

and you will be able to make them into any number of musical phrases.

I have purposely left the examples very plain. There is no embellishment

at all. The next step is to take what’s contained here and flip each of the 7th

chords upside down so you can play the arpeggios in every inversion. Learn

them in all twelve keys. Write your work down or document it in some way so

you can keep your thinking organized.

This book is about synchronizing not only your hands, but also the

melodies you hear in your head. Any exercise you do, or have done, is actually

there to train your ears. Without the exercises, your brain could come up with the

same information, but it would take much longer. You literally train yourself to

hear more acutely the more you practice or listen attentively to music. If you do

that every day, you will come to know a freedom on the guitar that defies words.

With that, I wish you happy practicing!

68



About Scott Hesse

Guitarist Scott Hesse is known in the national

jazz scene as a versatile performer, an

innovative soloist, and a master improviser.

With more than twenty years as a music

professional, Scott has performed in top clubs

in New York, Chicago, and throughout the

country alongside a diverse array of musical

artists. Whether performing straight-ahead or

avant-garde, Scott always brings his own

adept touch and singular ‘feel’ to the music he

plays.

When he's not gigging, Scott loves teaching. From university courses,

specialized clinics, and music camps, to intensive one-on-one lessons,

Scott has taught hundreds of students at all levels. As a teacher, Scott

gladly shares not only his vast technical knowledge, but also his proven

secrets for advancing creative expression through guitar playing. Time

and again, Scott’s students find themselves feeling inspired and excited

about their musical pursuits.

Scott has appeared on numerous recordings, including three releases

featuring his own music. Visit www.scotthesse.com for more information.

Creating Synchronicity eBook by Scott Hesse

Documents

Transcript of Creating Synchronicity eBook by Scott Hesse