Arpeggios

 

-  Do you ever get tired of strumming through every song?  I'm here to help you get started (or practice if you already do) playing chord shapes one note at a time.  I'm not going to name any songs here, but as you progress through this lesson, you'll perhaps recognize some tunes.  I'm going to start off very basic, so if you're familiar with this playing style, please have patience.  Have fun!  -

 

  

 

FIGURE 1  LISTEN TO IT

  We'll start with a Dmaj chord.  Just strum it through first, then pick each note.  Now pick them going up then down.

     D 
e||--2----------------|-----------------2----|-----------2-------------||
B||--3----------------|------------3---------|--------3-----3----------||
G||--2----------------|-------2--------------|-----2-----------2-------||
D||--0----------------|--0-------------------|--0-----------------0----||
A||-------------------|----------------------|-------------------------||
E||-------------------|----------------------|-------------------------||

  

  We'll do the same drill for a Cmaj chord....

  FIGURE 2  LISTEN TO IT

     C 
e||--0----------------|----------------------|--0----------------|
B||--1----------------|-----------------1----|-------------------|
G||--0----------------|------------0---------|-------------------|
D||--2----------------|-------2--------------|-------------------|
A||--3----------------|--3-------------------|-------------------|
E||-------------------|----------------------|-------------------|



--------------0-----------||
-----------1-----1--------||
--------0-----------0-----||
-----2-----------------2--||
--3-----------------------||
--------------------------||
  

  And now a Gmaj chord...

FIGURE 3  LISTEN TO IT

     G 
e||--3----------------|--|----------------------|-------3------------|
B||--0----------------|--|----------------------|--0-----------------|
G||--0----------------|--|-----------------0----|--------------------|
D||--0----------------|--|------------0---------|--------------------|
A||--2----------------|--|-------2--------------|--------------------|
E||--3----------------|--|--3-------------------|--------------------|



-----------------3--------||
--------------0-----0-----||
-----------0-----------0--||
--------0-----------------||
-----2--------------------||
--3-----------------------||

  

  Okay, so you've made it this far without getting too bored.  In this next section, I'll incorporate what you've already tried, but this time, you'll play it all together.  You need to start slowly, then build up speed as you play it more and more.  This is an excellent way to build up finger strength, speed, and accuracy.  You'll need to move quickly from one chord to another... 

FIGURE 4  LISTEN TO IT

     D 
e||-----------2--------------|-----2-----------------2--|
B||--------3-----3-----------|--3-----3-----------3-----|
G||-----2-----------2-----2--|-----------2-----2--------|
D||--0-----------------0-----|--------------0-----------|
A||--------------------------|--------------------------|
E||--------------------------|--------------------------|


   
--------------0-----------|--------------0-----------|
-----------1-----1--------|-----------1-----1--------|
--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----------0-----|
-----2-----------------2--|-----2-----------------2--|
--3-----------------------|--3-----------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|


  G 
-----------------3--------|-----------------------3--||
--------------0-----0-----|--------------------0-----||
-----------0-----------0--|-----------------0--------||
--------0-----------------|--0-----------0-----------||
-----2--------------------|-----2-----2--------------||
--3-----------------------|--------3-----------------||

  Well, it's time to incorporate that into a song.  I'm going to throw an Am chord in this one for you...

Think: "Mama told me -----  when I was young....."

FIGURE 5  LISTEN TO IT

 

     C                          G 
e||--------------------0-----|--------------3-----------|
B||-----------1-----1-----1--|-----------------0-----0--|
G||--------0-----0-----------|-----------0--------0-----|
D||-----2--------------------|--------0-----------------|
A||--3-----------------------|-----2--------------------|
E||--------------------------|--3-----------------------|


  Am 
---------------------------|--------------------------|
-----------1-----1--0-1-0--|-----------1-----1--------|
--------2-----2------------|--------2-----2-----------|
-----2---------------------|-----2--------------------|
--0------------------------|--0-----------------0--2--|
---------------------------|--------------------------|



--------------------0-----|--------------3-----------|
-----------1-----1-----1--|-----------------0-----0--|
--------0-----0-----------|-----------0--------0-----|
-----2--------------------|--------0-----------------|
--3-----------------------|-----2--------------------|
--------------------------|--3-----------------------|



---------------------------|--------------------------|
-----------1-----1--0-1-0--|-----------1-----1--------|
--------2-----2------------|--------2-----2-----------|
-----2---------------------|-----2--------------------|
--0------------------------|--0-----------------0--2--|
---------------------------|--------------------------|



|---------------------0-----|--------------3-----------|
|------------1-----1-----1--|-----------------0-----0--|
|*--------0-----0-----------|-----------0--------0-----|
|*-----2--------------------|--------0-----------------|
|---3-----------------------|-----2--------------------|
|---------------------------|--3-----------------------|


                                                     1X
---------------------------|---------------------------||
-----------1-----1--0-1-0--|-----------1-----1---------||
--------2-----2------------|--------2-----2-----------*||
-----2---------------------|-----2--------------------*||
--0------------------------|--0-----------------0--2---||
---------------------------|---------------------------||



--------------0--5~-----||
-----------1------------||
--------2---------------||
-----2------------------||
--0---------------------||
------------------------||

 

  Well, that was pretty cool.  Here's an excerpt from one of my originals:

FIGURE 6  LISTEN TO IT

     A/Dm                       Dm 
e||-----------1-----------1--|-----------1--------1-----|
B||--------3-----3-----3-----|--------3-----3--------3--|
G||-----2-----------2--------|-----2-----------2--------|
D||--------------------------|--0-----------------------|
A||--0-----------------------|--------------------------|
E||--------------------------|--------------------------|


  A/Dm                       Dm 
-----------1-----------1--|-----------1--------1-----|
--------3-----3-----3-----|--------3-----3--------3--|
-----2-----------2--------|-----2-----------2--------|
--------------------------|--0-----------------------|
--0-----------------------|--------------------------|
--------------------------|--------------------------|


  C           B/C            A/C         G/C 
--------------------------|--------------------------|
-----------1-----------1--|-----------1-----------1--|
--------0-----------0-----|--------0-----------0-----|
-----2-----------2--------|-----2-----------2--------|
--3-----------2-----------|--0-----------------------|
--------------------------|--------------3-----------|


  F                          G 
-----------------1-----1--|-----------------------3--|
--------------1-----1-----|--------------0-----0-----|
-----------2--------------|-----------0-----0--------|
--------3-----------------|--------0-----------------|
-----3--------------------|-----2--------------------|
--1-----------------------|--3-----------------------|


  Am 
----------------------0/---5~---|------------------||
-----------------1--------------|------------------||
------------2-------------------|------------------||
-------2------------------------|------------------||
--0-----------------------------|------------------||
--------------------------------|------------------||

    Well, that'll wrap it up for another week.  I hope the arpeggios on this page will help you grow.  If you have anything you'd like to share, send them to meSend this lesson to friend.

 

 

 

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