Have you ever wondered how guitar players come up with interesting guitar parts to songs like House Of The Rising Sun, Hotel California, or Stairway To Heaven? Some of the most iconic guitar parts you can think of are created by using a technique called arpeggios. While some of these parts can sound tricky and complicated, it’s actually a pretty simple technique to get started with. Arpeggios are an important technique for guitar players in just about any musical style you can imagine. They provide a different texture for your chords than strumming does, and can be a helpful songwriting tool. Arpeggios are used throughout all styles of music, and in many cases they make up some of the most memorable guitar parts to songs you like. Luckily, arpeggios for guitar can be as simple as learning a picking pattern to play while holding down a chord. Learning your arpeggio patterns will give you more options to play with as you improve your skills, and make your picking technique better at the same time In this lesson you will learn the basic 4 string arpeggio picking patterns, and how to apply them to basic open guitar chords. By the end of this lesson you’ll have the tools you need to play simple arpeggio picking patterns over chord progressions, and apply them to some of your favorite songs as well. 4 String Arpeggio PatternsWe’re going to look at the basic arpeggio patterns using 4 adjacent strings on the guitar. For our purposes here, all numbers are going to be referencing strings on the guitar:
There are a total of 3 different string combinations available to us using only strings that are right next to each other: 4321, 5432, and 6543. 4 3 2 1 Arpeggio Pattern Start out with all down picks for now and as you get more comfortable, try experimenting with the other picking patterns to improve your picking hand technique. 5 4 3 2 Arpeggio PatternStart out with all down picks for now and as you get more comfortable, try experimenting with the other picking patterns to improve your picking hand technique. 6 5 4 3 Arpeggio PatternStart out with all down picks for now and as you get more comfortable, try experimenting with the other picking patterns to improve your picking hand technique. Applying Arpeggio Picking To ChordsThese arpeggio picking patterns can be used in combination with your chord shapes to create different musical textures in the songs you like to play. Arpeggios over a chord progression will feel very different than strumming patterns with the same chord progression, and learning to use them in songs will help you create some variety in your playing. The rule of thumb: any string you would strum can be used in an arpeggio - any string you wouldn’t strum shouldn’t be in your picking pattern. This simple guideline can help you always choose an arpeggio that fits the chord you are playing, and come up with interesting guitar parts that work for the song you are playing. Let’s look at applying these arpeggios to some common open position chords. G Chord Arpeggios:C Chord Arpeggios:Note - some resources will list the 6th string as an option for the C chord, where I show it as a note to avoid. While the 6th string is technically a correct note, I prefer not to use it because of the way the chord sounds when that string is played. D Chord Arpeggio:Note - some resources will list the 5th string as an option for the D chord, where I have it marked as a note to avoid. While the 5th string is technically a correct note, I prefer not to use it because of the way the chord sounds when that string is played. Em Chord Arpeggios (E minor):Getting used to the sounds of your picking patterns across different chords is important if you’re going to be able to use arpeggios as you play. It’s good to have a general idea what an arpeggio is going to sound like before you play it. This will help you come up with guitar parts on the fly, and work arpeggios into your own songwriting as well. Practicing Your Arpeggios: The only way knowing all of this can do you any good is if you put it into practice, and get used to playing arpeggios with your chords. Luckily, there is a simple exercise to help you get used to playing arpeggios over chords, and choosing arpeggios as you play through a chord progression or song:
You can try to do the same pattern on each chord, or you can choose arpeggios on a chord by chord basis - it’s up to you and what you feel comfortable playing. This exercise will give you a good feel for what it is like to play arpeggios through a chord progression or a song, and help you get used to choosing appropriate arpeggios for chords as you go without pre-planning what arpeggio you are going to play. You can also try this exercise with any song that you already know. Just do one arpeggio per chord and you should be fine in most popular songs. (there are always exceptions - if you have questions, ask your teacher - or email me and I will help you out) Things To Think About:As a guitar player, arpeggios are an essential technique to know for any style of music you want to play. Arpeggios provide a different texture than strumming can, and are used to create interesting guitar parts in popular songs. For our purposes right now, arpeggios are basically picking patterns that you play while holding down a chord. Practice these arpeggio patterns using chord progressions that you come up with, or your favorite songs. As you get better with these patterns, we will look at more complicated versions of the arpeggio picking pattern. Keep practicing, and if you need help or have any questions contact me today - I’ll be happy to help you out! Guitar Lessons For BeginnersIf you're a beginner trying to get started on the right track playing guitar, I've got the perfect program for you. My beginner guitar program will give you the skills you need so you can play the music you love, and have a great time as you learn! You'll get the fast track to playing real music and becoming a complete guitar player as you learn fundamental guitar skills that will make it easier for you to play the songs you want to play. Click below to learn more about: Contact me today to sign up, or ask any questions you have about learning guitar!
1 Comment
1/4/2020 06:42:36 pm
I wanted to learn how to play the guitar ages ago, but I wasn't really able to do it. Now that I have the time to do it, then I will probably go and do it. I know that I am probably too old to be picking up new hobbies, but it is what I want to do. I think that there are things that I have to do, but I just want to get this over with. I want to learn how to play the guitar so bad.
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