E Suspended Fourth Seventh Cavaquinho Arpeggio
Cavaquinho arpeggio — fretboard diagram
E Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio — Notes and Intervals
Notes: E, A, B, D
Intervals: 1P, 4P, 5P, 7m
Formula: 5-W-WH
Number of notes: 4
Also known as: 7sus4, 7sus
The E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio contains 4 notes (E, A, B, D). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this arpeggio on Cavaquinho with different tunings and fret ranges.
When to Use the E Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio
Play the E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio whenever a E Suspended Fourth Seventh chord appears in a progression. Unlike scales (which include passing tones), arpeggios guarantee every note you play IS a chord tone, making your solo sound harmonically precise and intentional.
Arpeggio vs. Scale
The E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio uses 4 notes (E, A, B, D) while the full scale uses 7. The arpeggio is a subset — think of it as the skeleton of the scale. Practice alternating between the arpeggio and the full scale to develop a melodic vocabulary that mixes chord tones with passing tones.
How to Play E Suspended Fourth Seventh Arpeggio on Cavaquinho
Locate E on your instrument and play through the 4 notes of the Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio (E, A, B, D) slowly, ensuring each tone rings clearly before connecting them at speed.
The E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio avoids the third, creating an open, unresolved sound. It works over Esus4, Esus2, E7sus4 voicings and is perfect for creating a modern, ambiguous harmonic feel that neither commits to major nor minor.
Practice Routine
Play the E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio as whole notes over a backing track or drone on E. Focus on intonation and tone quality for each of the 4 notes (E, A, B, D). After a few passes, begin improvising short melodic phrases built from these arpeggio tones, connecting them with passing notes.
Cavaquinho Tips
Practice the E Suspended Fourth Seventh arpeggio on your instrument at a slow, comfortable tempo, focusing on clean articulation of each of the 4 tones before gradually increasing speed.