Home > Writing > Guitar School > Arpeggios

Arpeggios

I do not assume any responsibility for frustration, injury or death resulting from the application of these exercises.

Arpeggios are chords whose notes are played one note after the other, as opposed to simultaneously. They are fundamental for most instruments in most kinds of music. In lead guitar playing, we use them as alternatives to scales.

The tuning of the guitar is such that there are many convenient ways of playing arpeggios, and their fingering depends mostly on which of your left-hand fingers winds up fretting the root note. Since standard tuning is not symmetrical, the interval between the G and B strings being a major third as opposed to the perfect fourth between the other adjacent pairs, different fingerings are required depending on which string you start: E, A, D or G.

Arpeggios can be used for many things. In their simplest and most obvious application, they can be used as a cheap way of staying in the key. When trying to break out of the box, they can be just as handy, if not more so, than scales and slides, since they allow you to switch positions easily and approach a target note faster.

Basic Arpeggios

Root on the E string:

  (minor)                   (major)
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
B---------------------------|---------------------------|
G-------2-------------------|-------2-------------------|
D-----2----------7--------7-|-----2----------7--------7-|
A---3----------7------3-7---|---4----------7------4-7---|
E-5--------5-8------5-------|-5--------5-9------5-------|
  4 2 1 1  1 4 3 3  2 1 4 4   4 3 1 1  1 4 2 2  2 1 4 4
  
  (diminished)              (augmented)
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
B---------------------------|---------------------------|
G---------------------------|-------2-------------------|
D-----1-4-----------------4-|-----3----------7--------7-|
A---3----------6-9----3-6---|---4----------8------4-8---|
E-5--------5-8------5-------|-5--------5-9------5-------|
  4 2 1 3  1 4 1 4  2 1 4 1   4 3 2 1  1 4 3 2  2 1 4 3

Root on the A string:

  (minor)                    (major)
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
B-------3-------------------|-------3-------------------|
G-----2----------7--------7-|-----2----------7--------7-|
D---3----------7------3-7---|---4----------7------4-7---|
A-5--------5-8------5-------|-5--------5-9------5-------|
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
  4 2 1 2  1 4 3 3  2 1 4 4   4 3 1 2  1 4 2 2  2 1 4 4

  (diminished)               (augmented)
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
B---------------------------|-------3-------------------|
G-----1-4-----------------4-|-----3----------7--------7-|
D---3----------6-9----3-6---|---4----------8------4-8---|
A-5--------5-8------5-------|-5--------5-9------5-------|
E---------------------------|---------------------------|
  4 2 1 3  1 4 1 4  3 1 4 1   3 2 1 1  1 4 3 2  2 1 4 3

Root on the D string:

  (minor)                      (major)
E-------5-------------------5-|-------5----------------------|
B-----5-----------10----------|-----5-----------10--------10-|
G---5-----------9-------5-9---|---6-----------9-------6-9----|
D-7--------7-10-------7-------|-7--------7-11-------7--------|
A-----------------------------|------------------------------|
E-----------------------------|------------------------------|
  3 1 1 1  1  4 3  4  2 1 4 1   3 2 1 1  1  4 3  2  2 1 3  4

  (diminished)               (augmented)
E----------------------------|-------5------------------------|
B-----4-7---------7--------7-|-----6------------10---------10-|
G---5-----------8------5-8---|---6-----------10-------6-10----|
D-7--------7-10------7-------|-7--------7-11--------7---------|
A----------------------------|--------------------------------|
E----------------------------|--------------------------------|
  4 2 1 4  1  4 2 1  3 1 4 3   4 3 2 1  1  4  3  3  2 1  4  4

Root on the G string:

  (minor)                          (major)
E-----7-12----------12---------12-|-----7-12----------12---------12-|
B---8------------12-------8-12----|---9------------12-------9-12----|
G-9---------9-12--------9---------|-9---------9-13--------9---------|
D---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|---------------------------------|
  3 2 1  4  1  4  4  4  2 1  4  4   2 3 1  4  1  4  3  3  1  1 4  4

  (diminished)                   (augmented)
E-----6-9----------9---------9-|-----8-12---------12---------12-|
B---8-----------11------8-11---|---9------------13------9-13----|
G-9--------9-12-------9--------|-9---------9-13-------9---------|
D------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A------------------------------|--------------------------------|
E------------------------------|--------------------------------|
  4 3 1 4  1  4  3 1  2 1  4 1   2 3 1  4  1  4  4 3  1 1  4  3

Two-string arpeggios (simplified tablature):

  minor           major           diminished        augmented
X---5-9-------9-|---6-9-------9-|---5-8-------8-(11)-|---6-10-------10-|
X-7------7-10---|-7------7-11---|-7------7-10--------|-7-------7-11----|
  2 1 4  1  4 3   2 1 4  1  4 2   3 1 4  1  4 2   4    2 1  4  1  4  3

Ditto, adapted for the G-B string pair:

  minor            major            diminished          augmented
B---6-10-------10-|---7-10-------10-|---6-9-------9-(12)-|---7-11-------11-|
G-7-------7-10----|-7-------7-11----|-7------7-10--------|-7-------7-11----|
  2 1  4  1  4  4   1 1  4  1  4  3   2 1 4  1  4 3   4    1 1  4  1  4  4

(The notes within parentheses indicate a possibility to easily play a full diminished 7th arpeggio.)

One-string arpeggios are naturally possible, but they require a massive reach and are therefore out of the question for most people unless you start at the 12th position. On the other hand, one-string arpeggios do lend themselves well to two-handed playing.

Arpeggios in Third and Fifth Position

All of the arpeggio fingerings above have been in root position (see chord theory). Naturally, arpeggios can be played in inversion in the same way that chords can. It is here that we find possibilities of using arpeggios as position shifts. The following shapes use only the upper three strings, but it could be a rewarding homework exercise for you to take the previous positions as well and find the inversions yourself.

 (minor)
E-----5-10--------10-13--------13-17-|
B---6----------10-----------15-------|
G-7---------10-----------14----------|
D------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|
  3 2 1  4   1  1  1  4   2  3  1  4

 (major)
E-----5-10--------10-14--------14-17-|
B---7----------10-----------15-------|
G-7---------11-----------14----------|
D------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|
  2 3 1  4   2  1  1  4   1  2  1  4

 (diminished)
E-----4-7-------7-10--------10-13--------13-16-|
B---6---------9----------12-----------15-------|
G-7--------10---------13-----------16----------|
D----------------------------------------------|
A----------------------------------------------|
E----------------------------------------------|
  4 3 1 4   4 3 2  1   4  3  1  4   4  3  1  4

 (augmented)
E-----6-10--------10-14--------14-18-|
B---7----------11-----------15-------|
G-7---------11-----------15----------|
D------------------------------------|
A------------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|
  2 3 1 4    2  3  1  4   2  3  1  4

As mentioned under diminished and augmented chords in the essay on chord symbols, the above arpeggio shapes make it abundantly clear that the diminished seventh chord and augmented triad are equal divisions of the octave into four and three parts, respectively.

Grand Arpeggios

A grand arpeggio is an arpeggio that spans over more than one octave. Often these are flamboyant, flashy gestures to tack into an improvisatory section. I include them since they make for good practice and they take you from one end of the neck to the other quicker than playing any scale can.

Here are some basic shapes. Note how closely they stick to the established barre chord forms:

  (minor)
E-------------5-8--------------5--------------5-|
B-----------5----------------5--------------5---|
G---------5----------------5------------2-5-----|
D-------7----------------7------------2---------|
A---3-7----------------7------------3-----------|
E-5----------------5-8------------5-------------|
  2 1 4 4 1 1 1 4  1 4 3 3 1 1 1  4 2 1 1 4 4 4

E-----------7-12----------3-7----------------12--|
B---------8-------------5---------------8-12-----|
G-------9-------------4---------------9----------|
D---5-9-------------5---------------9------------|
A-7---------------7------------7-10--------------|
E------------------------------------------------|
  2 1 4 3 2 1  4  4 2 1 2 1 4  1  4 3 3 1  4  4

  (major)
E-------------5-9--------------5--------------5-|
B-----------5----------------5------------2-5---|
G---------6----------------6------------2-------|
D-------7----------------7------------2---------|
A---4-7----------------7------------4-----------|
E-5----------------5-9------------5-------------|
  2 1 4 3 2 1 1 4  1 4 3 3 2 1 1  4 3 1 1 1 4 4

E-----------7-12----------4-7----------------12-|
B---------9-------------5---------------9-12----|
G-------9-------------4---------------9---------|
D---6-9-------------6---------------9-----------|
A-7---------------7------------7-11-------------|
E-----------------------------------------------|
  2 1 4 4 4 1  4  4 3 1 2 1 4  1  4  2 2 2 4  4

  (diminished)
E-------------------------11-14---------------------8-11-|
B-------------------10-13----------------------7-10------|
G--------------8-11------------------------5-8-----------|
D---------7-10-------------------------4-7---------------|
A-----6-9--------------------------3-6-------------------|
E-5-8----------------------------5-----------------------|
  1 4 1 4 1  4 1  4  1  4  1  4  3 1 4 1 4 1 4 1  4 1  4

  (augmented)
E-------------5-9-----------------9-|
B-----------6------------------10---|
G---------6---------------6-10------|
D-----3-7---------------7-----------|
A---4-----------------8-------------|
E-5---------------5-9---------------|
  3 2 1 4 3 3 1 4 1 4 3 2 1 4  4  3

One thing that can be noted is not only that some of the fingerings are a bit awkward. Many of these shapes remain firmly rooted to the ground. Just like a static scale pattern described in another essay, many of these grand arpeggios simply don't cover enough ground. If you nail them, they might sound impressive, but you can't just play arpeggios up and down. They have to go somewhere.

There are some ideas in the above shapes that could be taken a bit further, this one for instance:

E-----------7-12-|
B---------8------|
G-------9--------|
D---5-9----------|
A-7--------------|
E----------------|
  2 1 4 3 2 1  4

Starting on the low E string, a similar extension pattern takes us quite a bit further:

E----------------8-12-|
B-------------10------|
G---------5-9---------|
D-------7-------------|
A---3-7---------------|
E-5-------------------|
  2 1 4 2 1 4  2 1 4