Arpeggios

Arpeggios can be used in many different ways. You can make riffs out of them, use them in solos, or even make melody lines with them. They are very useful and help give you a more complex sound. Arpeggios are simply broken down chords.

Instead strumming the chord like this:
E:-----1-----|
B:-----3-----|
G:-----2-----| 
D:-----0-----|
A:-----------| 
E:-----------| 

Pick through it like this:
E:-----1-----| 
B:----3-3----|
G:---2---2---|
D:--0-----0--|
A:-----------|
E:-----------|

Below are some commenly used patterns to run up and down the neck using arpeggios. Keep in mind that you can take the root note and move it anywhere on the neck to play different arpeggios.

G Arpeggio:
E:--------------3-7-3--------------|
B:------------3-------3------------|
G:----------4-----------4----------|
D:--------5---------------5--------|
A:----2-5-------------------5-2----|
E:--3---------------------------3--|

Am Arpeggio:
E:--------------5-8-5--------------|
B:------------5-------5------------|
G:----------5-----------5----------|
D:--------7---------------7--------|
A:------7-------------------7------|
E:--5-8-----------------------8-5--|

Gmaj7 Arpeggio:
E:------------------2-3-2------------------|
B:----------------3-------3----------------|
G:--------------4-----------4--------------|
D:----------4-5---------------5-4----------|
A:------2-5-----------------------5-2------|
E:--2-3-------------------------------3-2--|

Am7 Arpeggio:
E:------------------5-8-5------------------|
B:--------------5-8-------8-5--------------|
G:------------5---------------5------------|
B:--------5-7-------------------7-5--------|
A:------7---------------------------7------|
E:--5-8-------------------------------8-5--|

Also, don't be afraid to add notes to your arpeggios to spice up your sound.

G Arpeggio:
         added 2nd    added 2nd
               \         /
                 \     /
E:--------------3-5-7-5-3--------------|
B:------------3-----------3------------|
G:----------4---------------4----------|
D:--------5-------------------5--------|
A:----2-5-----------------------5-2----|
E:--3-------------------------------3--|

Am Arpeggio:     
                       added 6th
                           /
                         /
E:--------------5-8-5--/-------------|
B:------------5-------6-5------------|
G:----------5-------------5----------|
D:--------7-----------------7--------|
A:------7---------------------7------|
E:--5-8-------------------------8-5--|

Here are some paterns that work great in solos. Once you get used to them, it's easy to play them pretty fast.

D Arpeggio:
E:--5-2---5-2---5-2---5-2---| or E:--5p2---5p2---5p2---5p2---|
B:------3-----3-----3-----3-|    D:------3-----3-----3-----3-|
G:--------------------------|    G:--------------------------|
D:--------------------------|    D:--------------------------|
A:--------------------------|    A:--------------------------| 
E:--------------------------|    E:--------------------------|

Em Arpeggio:
E:--7-3---7-3---7-3---7-3---| or E:--7p3---7p3---7p3---7p3---|
B:------5-----5-----5-----5-|    D:------5-----5-----5-----5-|
G:--------------------------|    G:--------------------------|
D:--------------------------|    D:--------------------------|
A:--------------------------|    A:--------------------------| 
E:--------------------------|    E:--------------------------|

F# Dim Arpeggio:
E:--8-5---8-5---8-5---8-5---| or E:--8p5---8p5---8p5---8p5---|
B:------7-----7-----7-----7-|    D:------7-----7-----7-----7-|
G:--------------------------|    G:--------------------------|
D:--------------------------|    D:--------------------------|
A:--------------------------|    A:--------------------------| 
E:--------------------------|    E:--------------------------|

You can play the above arpeggios the same way on every string except B. Here is the way to play them on the B string.

D Arpeggio:
E:-------------------------------|
B:--10-7---10-7---10-7---10-7----|
G:-------7------7------7------7--| 
D:-------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------| 
E:-------------------------------| 

Em Arpeggio:
E:-------------------------------|
B:--12-8---12-8---12-8---12-8----|
G:-------9------9------9------9--| 
D:-------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------| 
E:-------------------------------| 

F# Dim Arpeggio:
E:---------------------------------------|
B:--13-10----13-10----13-10----13-10-----|
G:--------11-------11-------11-------11--| 
D:---------------------------------------|
A:---------------------------------------| 
E:---------------------------------------|

Also, you should try playing the arpeggios descending.

D Arpeggio (Descending):
E:----2-5---2-5---2-5---2-5--|
B:--3-----3-----3-----3------|
G:---------------------------|
D:---------------------------|
A:---------------------------| 
E:---------------------------|

Here are some other cool ways to play arpeggios.

Am Arpeggio:
E:--12-8-------------8--12-8------------8---|
B:-------10--------10-------10-------10-----|
G:----------9----9-------------9----9-------|
D:------------10-----------------10---------|
A:------------------------------------------| 
E:------------------------------------------| 

G Arpeggio:
E:--10-7-----------7--10-7-----------7--|
B:-------8-------8---------8-------8----|
G:---------7---7--------------7---7-----| 
D:-----------9------------------9-------|
A:--------------------------------------| 
E:--------------------------------------| 

E Dim Arpeggio:
E:--6------------------6----------------|
B:----8-5-------5-8------8-5-------5-8--|
G:--------6---6--------------6---6------|
D:----------8------------------8--------|
A:--------------------------------------|
E:--------------------------------------|

A Dim Arpeggio:
E:--2---------------2----2---------------2--|
B:----4-----------4--------4-----------4----|
G:------5-2---2-5------------5-2---2-5------|
D:----------4--------------------4----------|
A:------------------------------------------| 
E:------------------------------------------|

Comments

[Spanner]

Nice, but you could have included some picking suggestions, as when I started off sweep picking, I held the pick perpendicular to the floor(the faster but wrong way) lets hope no one else falls into that trap he he

[warbdaniel]

gosh, this really is the basics

[evo2k_3]

it was an ok lesson but i got kinda confused

[datawraith]

Nice. Very easy to understand.

[alexcjalali]

well i mean, you didnt explain how Am or any notes = that set of notes, i understood because i know the basic barre chord shapes, but id imagine anyone who doesnt would be really lost as to how you came up with those notes. even i dont really get where you got half the notes from in the soloing part

[jojojo]

nice lesson. keep it up.

[STERIOGRAM134]

idk i thought he didint really explain how it works... oh well i guess it was an ok lesson really helped my soloing

[customx42inch]

do u have to play the notes in order like yopu showed?

[nonoh]

good effort there! but i'd appreciate it if you could explain it fuller. i guess, the lesson comes with the presumption that the reader knows the basic barre chords. oh well, it's nice nonetheless...

[fingersofflame]

a decent, clear, and basic lesson...pretty good look at arpeggios...

[fingersofflame]

although, it would be nice if you gave some more suggestions or at least give some more explanations on what the heck you are talking about, like for instance barre chords...but besides that it was an okay lesson

[Next Hendrix]

Good lesson. My solos don't suck... as much anymore =P

[MetalToTheEnd]

Good to start off with. Now do one with theory!

[georgeow]

this is a good lesson...really made my solo's...better

[coreymorash]

i don't get how this helps, sound dull to me....someone help me out.....

[coreymorash]

do you have to have these included into soloing, and when you solo, must you put the notes like lets say, your playing EM, D, G, and you wanna solo after, do the notes have to be, Em, D, G? and then include arpeggios in it? and what about scales, like blues ones or .....i'm lost with music.....

[coreymorash]

?????

[jensq]

in the above arpeggio, it's easyer to do:

|e|=|----5| and way faster.
|B|=|5p7--|

[Keenan-91]

i'm kinda new to the guitar and have been teaching myself, however has can anyone explain arpeggiating chords with fingers to me?

[AcoustoMelodia]

Spanner wrote:

Nice, but you could have included some picking suggestions, as when I started off sweep picking, I held the pick perpendicular to the floor(the faster but wrong way) lets hope no one else falls into that trap he he

I'm not in favor of using a pick, i believe all should learn the classics and at least try a little with finger picking on an acoustic, its much warmer sounding.

[hmfz]

goood.....

[Shadowmancer]

I'm still quite confused...

[havaball]

Not bad, but you let these peeps on the basics alright. You barely gave them any knowledge of where to take these arpeggiated sequence(E((aeolian of G))to Diminished Eflat or G Ionian). You should also always include longer arpeggiated sequences because these boys need to learn dexterity, and fluid motion.

[havaball]

an arpeggio is a scale broken down to seperate strings, it leaves a classical resolving stamp to that tone, before you get into the next 10 years of your life you should seriously consider string skipping techniques to allow your fingers to confirm to their new hand eye coordination

[Solid S/hit]

This is more like a quick index of arpeggios and not a lesson as such, nonetheless very useful, 10/10

[derpdragon]

very simple and easy to read, just what i like!

[GOOSEMAN22]

dig it man you left out all the bullshit that self taught guitar players dont really know nor care about great tab...

[xlungcancerrx]

I really liked this! verry cool!