Theory and Beyond part 3 (Arpeggios) letostak@ix.netcom.com (Judy Letostak) http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/agnetha/59/index.html Metal Edge (619)423-4970 24/7 Guitar/Bass/Drum tab, MP3s, Appz ========================================= | Do NOT send or archive this to olga...| ========================================= You can post this on your web, ftp, bbs whatever, without permission. leave the email and name in pls. This lesson is all about different types of arpeggios and how to utilize them into your playing. Sweep arpeggios and just the plain ol arps... :) The first thing is "what the hell is an arpeggio????" It is just this: 1 III V the same as a chord. (see first and 2nd lesson). a C major chord is: C E G and a C major arpeggio is C E G. huh??? The difference is you strum a chord and you play an arpeggio one note at a time. chord=frozen arpeggio arpeggio=broken chord. The technique of sweep picking is just playing an arpeggio usually one note per string in one stroke. Either up or down stroke. --2------------- ----3----------- ------2--------- --------4------- ----------5----- ---------------- This is a D major arpeggio, you would start on the high E string and using all downstrokes (one stroke actually) play each note, while damping the last note with either your left finger (the one that played the last note) or the fleshy palm of your right hand. Play with it, you'll figure out what works best for you. DONT LET THE LAST NOTE RING OUT!!! Very important!! If you use more than one note on a string either a pull off or hammer on can be used: -10p7-------7h10~~~---- ------8---8------------ --------9--------------etc., ----------------------- ----------------------- ----------------------- Or you can just pick it, your choice. Ok, now onto the various arpeggios: r=root note Major --------------------1r-4------------------------2r-6-------- -----------------1---------------------------2-------------- --------------2---------------------------3----------------- -----------3r--------------------------4r------------------- --------3------------------------1--4----------------------- --1--4------------------------2r---------------------------- r -----------------4r----------------------1--6r-------------- -----------1--4-----------------------3--------------------- ---------1r------------------------3r----------------------- -------1------------------------3--------------------------- ----3--------------------1r--4------------------------------ -4r--------------------------------------------------------- -------------------2-----------------1--4------------------- ----------------4-----------------2r------------------------ -------------4r----------------1---------------------------- ------1---4-----------------3------------------------------- ---2r--------------------4r--------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ---------------3---------------1r-5------------------------- ------------4r--------------1------------------------------- ---------3---------------2---------------------------------- --1r--5---------------3r------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Minor Arpeggios -------------------1r-4------------------------4r----------- ----------------1---------------------------4--------------- -------------1------------------------1r-4------------------ ----------3r-----------------------1------------------------ -------3------------------------3--------------------------- -1r-4------------------------4r----------------------------- ----------------1---6-------------------1--5---------------- -------------2-----------------------2r--------------------- ----------3r----------------------1------------------------- -------3-----------------------2---------------------------- -1r-4-----------------------4r------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------2--6---------------1r-4----------------------- -----------4r-----------------1----------------------------- --------3------------------1-------------------------------- --1r-4------------------3r---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Those are your main major and minor arpeggios, there are others of course, but these are the main ones. Now, the way to utilize them in your playing. Arpeggios are not limited to leads, they can be used in any way you can possibly think of, in rhythms, ballads (you can make up some very pretty progressions), breaks etc., bass players can also use them. Steve Harris and Geddy Lee are prime examples. Here's an example: Eminor G major B Minor -------12-15p12-14-15-12~-------12/14----------------------- ----12--------------------15p12-------15-------------------- -14--------------------------------------16~---------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ This is playing off of each chord. It's just as easy to play E Minor arpeggios over the neck with the same progression. EMinor F# Cmajor ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------2----------------------- ---------2h4h5~-------------------2---2--------------------- -------2--------2----------3--6---------3~------------------ ---0h3---------------2--5----------------------------------- Little F# diminished arp in there for ya...I don't have my guitar in hand (at work) so I'm taking a wild shot, not sure how it would sound, but theoretically it works. This is also playing off of each chord... My last band we had this strange progression...like this: --7----------7-------|---5------5-----|-----3-------3------| --7----------7-------|---5------5-----|-----3-------3------| --9-----9----9-------|---7--7---7-----|-----5---3---3------| --9-----9----9-------|---7--7---7-----|-----5---3---3------| --7-----7----7-------|---5--5---5-----|-----3---3---3------| --------7----8-------|------5---6-----|---------3---4------| ----2--------2--------| ----2--------2--------| ----4----2---2--------|play each bar 2x I didn't notate the rhythm ----4----2---2--------|but it booked! Think Iron Maiden style. ----2----2---2--------| ---------2---3--------| So, I played a little strange riff like this over it some where in the lead. ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ -------5--4--------------9--5---------------12--11---------- ----4--------5--------7--------7--------10----------12------ -3--------------7--5--------------9--9------------------14-- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ --15--14--12------------------------------------------------ --------------15--14--12\10~~~~----------------------------- They're arpeggios sorta...not exactly, but they're mainly shapes...a pattern, but it's something that was borne from the arpeggio idea...rather than playing arpeggios, I did something totally different. I pretty much stuck with the E Minor scale, even though the chords change, the pattern, sounded fine. E Minor 7 arpeggio ----------------------------------12------------------------ --------------------------12--15---------------------------- ----------------------12------------------------------------ --------------12--14---------------------------------------- ----------14------------------------------------------------ --12--15---------------------------------------------------- This is just like an E minor arp, but with the 7 (D) added. E Major 7 Arpeggio ----------------------------11--12-------------------------- ---------------------9--12---------------------------------- ------------------9----------------------------------------- -----------9--13-------------------------------------------- ------11---------------------------------------------------- --12-------------------------------------------------------- Minor 9 -----------------------------3----- -----------------------1--4-------- --------------------1-------------- --------------1--5----------------- -----------3----------------------- ----1r--4-------------------------- These are a little different (sounding as well). They're not one note per string, but they can give an interesting effect. Play around with them, to figure out where they work best. Minor 9 -----------------------1--6---- --------------------4---------- --------------3--4------------- --------1--4------------------- -----2------------------------- --4r--------------------------- ---------------------1--4----------------------------------- ---------------1--2-------------------------4--------------- ------------1-------------------------1--4------------------ ---------3-------------------------2------------------------ ---1r-4-------------------------4r-------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ -------------1-------------------------3-------------------- ----------2----------------------1--4----------------------- -------3----------------------1----------------------------- -1r-4---------------------3r-------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Diminished -------------------------------7--10------------------------ -------------------------6--9------------------------------- -------------------4--7------------------------------------- -------------3--6------------------------------------------- -------2--5------------------------------------------------- -1--4------------------------------------------------------- G# dim7 ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------9--12--9-------------------------- ----------------------10------------10--7------------------- ---------------9--12-----------------------9--6------------- --------8--11------------------------------------8---------- -7--10----------------------------------------------7------- Instead of sweep arpeggios (one note per string) you can use 2 notes per string, via hammer ons and pull offs, it's still an arpeggio, but it's a bit easier to do. Nuno Bettencourt (Ex-Extreme) uses these instead of sweep arpeggios. E Minor ------------------------------15---------------------------- -----------------------13h17-------------------------------- -------------------14--------------------------------------- ------------12h16------------------------------------------- --------14-------------------------------------------------- -12h15------------------------------------------------------ This is a bit easier to do than the sweeping, it doesn't matter how you do it, it's still an arpeggio! The possibilities are endless for arpeggios and scales. You can take any mode, and make arpeggios from them... E Mixolydian7: E G# B D D Dorian7: D F A C etc., Play around with the different types of arpeggios...Make up your own! There are lots of ways to use arpeggios in your leads...Here's one example. Am CMajor FMajor -8--5-----------5/12-8-------------8--12--------------12--17~ -------5-----5----------10-----10---------13------13-------- ----------5-----------------9-----------------14------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ That's just A minor arpeggios over the Key of AMinor Am CMajor FMajor 5-----------------5--8------------------------------13------ ---5-----------5--------8-----------------------13---------- ------5-----5--------------9----------------14-------------- ---------7--------------------10p9h10p9/15------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ That kinda sound cheesy, but if cheesy is what yer going for... If you want to play the arps over each chord, try for different patterns. Remember the intervals? you can play them with arpeggios as well.... ---5----------------------- --------5------------------ -----5--------5------------ -----------7--------7------ -----------------7--------- -----------------------8--- etc., You can make up your own patterns and such...Rather than playing just straight arpeggios (which can be boring), Use some patterns...Mix them up with Pivot Licks, Scales, Pentatonics, Blues Scales, Modes, slurs, bends, dive bombs, tapping...Endless stuff, years and years of work :) But we know that don't we? ;) I would appreciate suggestions/questions for future lessons. All of my lessons can be found on my web page, plus the tabs that I've done. I've come up with a list of some possible stuff for the future... Vibrato, tapping, usage of slurs, more chords..rhythms etc., You can also find this and about 15,000 more guitar tab on my BBS. It's a dial up board (not in the inet...yet...) it's in San Diego, There's guitar/bass/drum tab, MP3s, all kinda stuff. Typed up using WordPad Metal Edge BBS (619)423-4970 (San Diego, CA USA) Over 15,000 Guitar Tabs, Bass tabs, lessons MP3s, Appz Running Iniquity v.a27, 4.6Gigs, 28.8 RioT Member and Distro Warlock WHQ =========================================================== h = hammeron ps = pick scrape p = pulloff % = repeat phrase ~ = vibrato letostak@ix.netcom.com b = bend + natural harmonic /\ = Slide tr = trill * = Artificial Harmonic x = ghost note t = tap note w/right hand w/bar = with bar =========================================================== http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/agnetha/59/index.html