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what's an arpeggio?
let's start with some examples of easy arpeggios to get a better idea of
what one is. here are a few in tab form:
d major
e--2-------
b----3-----
g------2---
d--------0-
a----------
e----------
a minor
e--0----------
b----1--------
g------2------
d--------2----
a----------0--
e-------------
bm7
e--2---------
b----3-------
g------2-----
d--------4---
a----------2-
e------------
e major
e---------4-
b-------5---
g-----4-----
d---6-------
a-7---------
e-----------
am13
e-------------7-
b---------5-6---
g-------5-------
d-----5---------
a---5-----------
e-5-------------
the current shredding movement has made the use of arpeggios seem a
daunting task. what with full 6 and 7 note arpeggios played with a
single sweep at blazing speed. but we needn't think of arpeggios in
these terms. arpeggios can be played slowly and deliberately to make a
wonderful statement and outline the underlying chords. arpeggios can
also be just a few notes. a simple triad arpeggiated during a solo can
be most effective and can really help soloists get away from the
diatonic or pentatonic scale runs. compare two descending runs:
am e
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1
e--8-5---5-----------------------------------------]---
b------8---8-5-8-5---5-----------------------------]---
g------------------7---7-5-7-5---5-----------------]---
d------------------------------7---7-5-7-5---5-----]---
a------------------------------------------7---7-5-]-7-
e--------------------------------------------------]---
apeggiated chords
am am7 amsus4 e
1 2 + 3 + 4 + 1
e---8----8--5--------------------------------]----
b--------------5-----8--5--------------------]----
g-----------------5--------5-----7--5--------]----
d-----------------------------7--------7-----]----
a-----------------------------------------5--]-7--
e--------------------------------------------]----
c c a e c g e c a d c a d e
now both these examples are totally useful. each starts high on the
third of the scale (c) and ends on the fifth (e). the first one has been
heard in a thousand tunes and is in every blues/rock players repertoire.
it makes a statement of speed and destination..."i'm up, and i'm showing
you how fast i can get down..."
notice how an arpeggio is just a scale with some of the notes missing?
hey...good for you. just like a chord is made up of selected notes from
the scale (root, third, fifth, seventh etc...) so an arpeggio will just
be selected notes from a scale too.
in fact...look at the example of the arpeggio for the am13 chord above.
can you see the scale for that chord? that's right...it's:
a--b--c--d---e--f---g
r--9--3--11--5--13--7
(2) (4) (6) remember that 9=2, 11=4 & 13=6.
e--8-7-8-7---------------
b----------8-------------
g------------7-----------
d--------------10-9------
a-------------------10---
e------------------------
c b c b g d c b g
a dm c
e-------5--9--12b(13)--]--10-----------]-/13-12--------------------]
b-----5----------------]-----10--------]--------13-----------13-13-]
g---6------------------]--------10-----]-----------12--14p12-------]
d-7--------------------]-----------12--]---------------------------]
a----------------------]---------------]---------------------------]
e----------------------]---------------]---------------------------]
bb c
e----------------]---------------]
b-----3--6--3----]-----5--6/8-6--]
g---3------------]---5-----------]
d-3--------------]-5-------------]
a----------------]---------------]
e----------------]---------------]
dm7 (d-f-a-c)
e----------5--8--5-----------
b--------6---------6---------
g--(5)-7--------------7-(5)--
d----------------------------
a----------------------------
e----------------------------
emaj7 (e-g#-b-d#)
tp
e----------4--(7)--(12)--
b--------4---------------
g------4-----------------
d----6-------------------
a--7---------------------
e------------------------
dadd9 (d-f#-a-e)
tp
e---------5--(10)--
b-------7----------
g-----9------------
d---7--------------
a-5----------------
e------------------
as your playing gets more complex, so too can more intricate arpeggios
be worked into your solos. here are a few: (try playing them forwards
and backwards) (try modifying them with altered notes to make new
chords).
am
e---------------------8-12--]
b-----------------10--------]
g-----------5--9------------]
d---------7-----------------]
a-------7-------------------]
e-0-5-8---------------------]
e a c e a c e a c e
e7
e------------11-]
b--------12-----]
g---------------]
d---------------]
a----11---------]
e-12------------]
e g# b d
c6/9b5
e----------------]
b----------10-12-]
g-------11-------]
d----14----------]
a-15-------------]
e----------------]
c e gb a b
e9
e----------------]
b----------3--7--]
g-------4--------]
d----6-----------]
a-7--------------]
e----------------]
so there you have it. see, that wasn't such a chore. notice that we
haven't even touched the myriad of arpeggios available in classical
music. but check them out for your own research.
figure out your own arpeggios and try them. just take the chord formula
that you want to arpeggiate and figure out a way to finger it.