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Lesson 11: Minor Arpeggio Patterns

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First of all, an arpeggio is simply the notes of a chord played in succession rather than simultaneously.

For example, a G minor arpeggio would use the notes G - B - D, the same notes that are used to spell a G minor chord, only you would use the notes melodically rather than harmonically.

Sometimes if you are soloing, and you want to outline a particular chord with your melody, you would use the notes from the arpeggio of that chord.

The object is not to always play the arpeggios from one end to the other, but rather use the arpeggio as a source of notes from which you can choose, in any order, to construct your solo.

Because of their intervalic relationship, arpeggios can help provide your solo with a strong melodic sense.



Main Points to Accomplish:

Learn each arpeggio form thoroughly, moving it to different roots.

Go through all of the forms and identify each note, whether or not it's the root, the 3rd or the 5th.

Connect all the forms together and practice with your metronome so you can move easily up and down the fretboard playing only arpeggios.



Whatever you do, don't blow off these arpeggios thinking "Hey, I already know my minor scales and these arpeggios are covered in those scales - so why bother." I've talked with many players who have done this only to realize later that once they started working with arpeggios, their soloing really got better.

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G Minor Arpeggios

Form 1



Form 2



Form 3



Form 4

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