Inverted Major Arpeggios

Dr. Bob Lawrence
Oct 24
3 min read

Melody Blocks and Improvisation Vocabulary.

Inverted Major Arpeggios

This week, we took a break from our "Tangerine" study to enjoy getting to know Lisa Deneau. If you haven't checked out the interview, take some time to do so this weekend; you'll be glad you did! (video interview on YouTube).

Before diving into our Improvisation exploration this week, I want to revisit a Podcast Episode I did on July 22, 2025, addressing the use of Inverted Major Arpeggios for developing jazz vocabulary to improve improvisation skills. Improvisation requires a multi-dimensional understanding — the ability to see and hear chords from every possible angle. That’s why this episode, Inverted Arpeggios, deepens our harmonic awareness and expands our jazz vocabulary.

Moving Beyond Root Position

In traditional music theory, we label chords as root position, first inversion, second inversion, and third inversion. Those terms are fine academically — but musically, they often miss the point. Harmony and melody aren’t separate; they’re two sides of the same coin.

That’s why I like to call these shapes Melody Blocks instead:

Melody Block 1 (root position)
Melody Block 2 (first inversion)
Melody Block 3 (second inversion)
Melody Block 4 (third inversion)

Each block is a container of melodic potential. Hidden inside every inversion is a new line, a fresh contour, and a different emotional color. When we start thinking this way, chords stop being static vertical structures and start becoming springboards for melodic exploration.

The Jazz Reese's Moment

Okay — time for an old-school analogy. Remember those classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup commercials? One person’s walking down the street with chocolate, another with peanut butter, they bump into each other and — boom! — magic happens.

That’s exactly how I think about arpeggios and melody blocks. When they collide, something wonderful emerges. Arpeggios bring out the horizontal flow of harmony, and melody blocks reveal the vertical richness inside a line. Once you experience that combination, you realize you’ve found the perfect pairing — like jazz’s own peanut butter and chocolate.

How to Practice Jazz

A few days ago, one of my students, Michelle, asked a great question:“How do you practice jazz?”

My answer is always the same: Isolate a sound and attach a skill.

That’s what this lesson is all about. We isolated the sound — major tonality — and attached the skill — arpeggios. Then we explored every inversion of every major chord, both ascending and descending, starting from the root, third, fifth, and seventh.

From there, we extracted 32 melodic motifs from our melodic blocks — 32 new pieces of jazz vocabulary for your hands, your ears, and your imagination.

Experience over Memorization

Students often tell me, “Bob, I’ll never remember all this.” And my response is always: You’re not supposed to.

This isn’t about memorization — it’s about experiencing it.

My grandmother used to say, “You can never miss what you’ve never had.” She was right. You can’t recall a sound you’ve never experienced. So our goal as jazz musicians isn’t to memorize patterns; it’s to live inside them. Experience them fully. Let them become part of your musical DNA.

A Challenge and an Invitation

This episode is both a challenge and an invitation — a challenge to rethink how you view arpeggios, and an invitation to explore them as living, melodic shapes rather than technical drills.

So whether you’re brand new to jazz or a seasoned pro, dive into these inverted arpeggios. Practice them across all 12 keys. Explore them horizontally (melodically) and vertically (harmonically). Most importantly, listen to what they reveal about how melody flows from harmony.

As always, it’s time to get busy. It’s time to discover, learn, and play jazz piano.

🎧 Continue the Journey

If you’re not already a Jazz Piano Skills member, now’s the perfect time to join. Membership gives you full access to:

Detailed podcast materials (illustrations, lead sheets, and play-alongs)
Weekly live masterclasses every Thursday at 8 PM Central
A private online community of passionate jazz pianists
One-on-one educational support directly from me

And don’t forget to check out the Jazz Piano Skills YouTube Channel, where I post Harmony, Melody, and Rhythm Challenges, Quick Tips, and Weekly Recaps to keep you inspired and progressing.