A Very Useful Gypsy Jazz Arpeggio (with TAB, picking, & fingering)

Today I’d like to share with you a very useful shape.

One of the most versatile arpeggios you can learn as a gypsy jazz guitarist is shown below.

The great thing about this shape is that you can use it to improvise over three chord-types. 

For instance, in the example given above, if you treat the 3rd fret on the 6th string (the low e string) as the root note, then you can use the shape to improvise over a G minor chord.

If you treat the 7th fret on the 5th string (the a string) as the root note, you can use the shape to improvise over an E minor7b5 chord.

Lastly, whilst there is no ‘C’ note contained within the arpeggio, you can use this shape over a C7 or C9 chord to outline key notes within the harmony.

It’s very useful to have a shape that can be used for multiple different chord types. Why not load up a backing track and try this one out?

Want to dig a little deeper, and master all the arpeggios needed to play gypsy jazz? Check out the Gypsy Jazz Arpeggio Book as well as our online courses, for some in-depth study of this style.

Harry Edwards

Harry is a guitarist from Tasmania, Australia, who has extensive experience as both a performer and educator of gypsy jazz. As the founder of www.studygypsyjazz.com, Harry is passionate about sharing his knowledge of gypsy jazz guitar with students around the globe.