Guitar Exercises For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon
An arpeggio is when you play the individual notes of a chord one at a time rather than all at once. Arpeggios are extremely helpful for improvising.

Major arpeggio pattern #2 starts with the 4th finger on the 6th string and includes no out-of-position notes, so you can enjoy a stretch-free series of exercises for a while! And because you don’t have to worry about stretching, you can focus on developing another skill.

For example, as an option, flatten out your 1st finger to play the consecutive notes on the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd strings, all of which occur at the same fret (the 5th, in this case). Think of this flattened 1st finger as a mini-barre (a partial barre that covers just two or three strings). This technique is especially helpful when you want to create a more legato (smooth and connected) sound between the notes.

The following figure shows the neck diagram as well as the corresponding music and tab for major arpeggio pattern #2 in the key of C major. Practice this pattern so you can play it eight times in a row perfectly, including any mini-barre alternate fingerings (should you choose to employ them).

image0.jpg

Click here to download and print this arpeggio pattern.

After you’re comfortable with the pattern, try major arpeggio pattern #2 in 7th-position D major. For a legato sound, use a 4th-finger mini-barre at the 10th fret for the top two strings.

image1.jpg

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book authors:

This All-in-One guide includes content from Jon Chappell, a guitarist, composer, author, and magazine editor;

Mark Phillips, a guitarist, arranger, and editor;

DesiSerna, a guitar guru and music theory expert; and

Hal Leonard Corporation, a renowned U.S. music publishing company.

Jon Chappell has jammed with countless blues musicians at Chicago's blues clubs. He is an award-winning guitarist and composer as well as past editor- in-chief of Guitar Magazine and Home Recording Magazine. His other books include Guitar For Dummies, Guitar Exercises For Dummies, Classical Guitar For Dummies, and Rock Guitar For Dummies

This article can be found in the category: