Can someone please explain Arpeggio to me

[ericmeyer4]

I know they are the notes of a chord, but I really just dont know how to use them effectivly. How do you through them into songs? Do you like play a few notes of the arpeggio? Im confused on how to use them in general. And can someone explain a sweep. Im pretty sure I am using them but not knowing it.

Basically I am confused on how to use each of them effectivly because i can never tell when someone does one or when i do one. if anyone has an easy to follow example that would really help too.

thanks,
edm

[IcedEarth112]

i'll try...

ok so lets use this e form bar chord its like this

5
5
6
7
7
5

so to make that chord an arpeggio you would slowly strum it, but play each note individually so itd be like
-------5-
------5--
-----6--- <--dont let any these notes ring together
----7----
---7-----
--5------

now you arent picking each individual note, by sweep picking its like strumming but slowly, as slow as you want, you just have to hit the notes correctly, arpeggios dont have to be fast of course. and also, once you hit the first note you would take that finger off and let the rest of your fingers do their work, after every note you take your finger off the string so it doesnt keep ringing.

i know im not that great at explaining but hell, i tried, hope this helped.

[Zhangliqun]

My dictionary says an arpeggio is:

1. The sounding of the tones of a chord in rapid succession rather than simultaneously.
2. A chord played or sung in this manner.

That's pretty much it, rolling a chord one note at a time rather than strumming them all at once. If you listen to a banjo player or a finger-style guitar player, most of the time they do just that, roll the chords with their right (picking) hand fingers.

Of course, that's with all the notes sustained. Probably you're hearing about this from someone in terms of playing single note lines, i.e., a guitar solo. A lot of guitar players take what's called a "scalar" approach to their solos, which is to say, they play runs of notes in sequence in the scale or mode. This can get a little dull. Horn players, by the nature of their instrument, tend to naturally gravitate toward arpeggios. So instead of a scalar run in C major, like:

C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C
(1-2-3-4-5-6-7-1)

...a horn player is more likely to play something like:

C-E-G, F-D, E-A-G (all within the same octave, i.e., 1-3-5, 4-2, 3-6-5)

...which is much more interesting, melodic and memorable. Putting more arpeggios in your solo approach will breathe life into your solos and your melodic sense.

I'm assuming by "sweeps" they're referring to "sweep picking", which is sort of like a strum in slow motion. You sweep the pick across several strings (one note per string) instead of using alternate (up-down-up-down) picking. Frank Gambale is a master at this.

Hope that helps...

[gordon_39422]

Check out "Ain't Talking 'Bout Love" by Van Halen, at the beginning EVH plays an arrpegiated A minor using the same principles everyone has discussed so far, to give an idea you can "hear!"

[deeval]

The best wat i found for myself any way is to play for instantance if you are playin in A min then I find playing a C maj7 arpaggio is a great way to get the feel for finding the the correct lead s to play over the original chord.
It is so much fun to play arppagios over chords Good luck.

[gordon_39422]

As others have said, it is a SUCCESSION of notes, rather than a COMBINATION of notes.... playing the arrpeggio of a chord OVER a chord is nothing more that playing the notes OF a chord individually while someone STRUMS the notes of the chord....

If you arrpegiate a chord, you are playing the succession.... Arpeggios, are not restricted to one chord, or even one pattern, as John is trying to say... Dissonant notes are not usually welcome, but if you ARP the right notes, it DOES lead to interesting ideas for solos.... The intro to Sweet Child of Mine is an Areppegiated V-VI-I pogression in the key of G... (well, Gb, if you count the fact that he tunes down 1/2 step...) but seriously, if you tune down, and play the D, C, G progressions and arrpegiate the chords at the 12th fret octaves, you can easily play the timeless licks!!!