Arpeggios

[An Angels Death]

I was wondering if anyone here can give me some tabs for some good arpeggios to learn and practice with. Thanks

[Lowthorpe]

The beginning to Eugene's Trick Bag by Steve Vai has a sweeping run between some arpeggios, and it's quite a cool song too. If you think you're upto the challenge, I truly recommend Serrana by Jason Becker. www.youtube.com has videos of people playing Serrana, (I've only ever heard the recorded 'trumpet-style' version and the powertab) and it is a really great song. And it's almost all sweeping too. :cool:

If you're looking for just some arpeggios to work on, here are a few major/minor shapes:

Amin:
-------------5-8-5-------------
-----------5-------5-----------
---------5-----------5---------
-------7---------------7-------
-----7-------------------7-----
-5-8-----------------------8-5-

Another Amin:
-----------------12-17-12----------------
--------------13----------13-------------
-----------14----------------14----------
--------14----------------------14-------
--12-15---------------------------15-12-
-----------------------------------------

Amaj:
-------------5-9-5-------------
-----------5-------5-----------
---------6-----------6---------
-------7---------------7-------
-----7-------------------7-----
-5-9-----------------------9-5-

Another Amaj:
-----------------12-17-12----------------
-------------14-----------14-------------
----------14-----------------14----------
-------14-----------------------14-------
-12-16----------------------------16-12--
------------------------------------------

There are other ways to finger/play these arpeggios, and there are lots of other arpeggios, but those should get you started. Read a few articles and search the forums, many people have tabbed out some arpeggio runs. I definately recommend (me personally anyway) that once you have a basic knowledge of these under your fingers, try looking at a song that uses them and work on that. Rather then just practicing the arpeggio, you'll be learning something that still improves your ability to play them, but in a more musical context. Not saying to abandon your technical practice but it's always good to put what you've learnt into practice.

Nick

[newamerikangosp]

Hey, just to mention, especially when you first start out, I wouldn't suggest trying "barre" chord type shapes. They have a tendency to get "messy" when you first start out, but once you actually get the sweeping thing down, the transition is fairly easy.

ex
-------------5-8-5-------------
-----------5-------5-----------
---------5-----------5---------
-------7---------------7-------
-----7-------------------7-----
-5-8-----------------------8-5-


I would suggest...well, whatever fingering this is

am
-----------8h12p8----------
---------10------10--------
--------9----------9--------
------10------------10------
-7h12-----------------12p7--
-----------------------------

[scruffles]

C Dm

|-----------3h8p3------------|-----------5h10p5------------|
|---------5-------5----------|---------6--------6----------|
|-------5-----------5--------|-------7------------7--------|
|-----5---------------5------|-----7----------------7------|
|-3h7-------------------7p3--|-5h8--------------------8p5--|
|----------------------------|-----------------------------|


Em
|------------7h12p7------------|
|----------8--------8----------|
|--------9------------9--------|
|------9----------------9------|
|-7h10--------------------10p7-|
|------------------------------|


F G
|---------------8h13p8----------------|----------------10h15p10-----------------|
|------------10--------10-------------|-------------12----------12--------------|
|---------10--------------10----------|----------12----------------12-----------|
|------10--------------------10-------|-------12----------------------12--------|
|-8h12--------------------------12p8--|-10h14----------------------------14p10--|
|-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|


Am
|----------------12h17p12-----------------|
|-------------13----------13--------------|
|----------14----------------14-----------|
|-------14----------------------14--------|
|-12h15----------------------------15p12--|
|-----------------------------------------|


B°
|----------------13h19p13-----------------|
|-------------15----------15--------------|
|----------16----------------16-----------|
|-------15----------------------15--------|
|-14h17----------------------------17p14--|
|-----------------------------------------|


|----------------15h20p15-----------------*|
|-------------17----------17--------------*|
|----------17----------------17-----------*|
|-------17----------------------17--------*|
|-15h19----------------------------19p15--*|
|-----------------------------------------*|

D Em

|---------2h5p2--------------|---------3h7p3--------------|
|-------3-------3------------|-------5-------5------------|
|-----2-----------2----------|-----4-----------4----------|
|---4---------------4--------|---5---------------5--------|
|-5-------------------5-(5)--|-7-------------------7-(7)--|
|----------------------------|----------------------------|


F#m G
|---------5h9p5--------------|----------7h10p7----------------|
|-------7-------7------------|--------8--------8--------------|
|-----6-----------6----------|------7------------7------------|
|---7---------------7--------|----9----------------9----------|
|-9-------------------9-(9)--|-10--------------------10-(10)--|
|----------------------------|--------------------------------|


A
|------------9h12p9------------------|
|---------10--------10---------------|
|-------9--------------9-------------|
|----11------------------11----------|
|-12------------------------12-(12)--|
|------------------------------------|


Bm
|-------------10h14p10-------------------|
|----------12----------12----------------|
|-------11----------------11-------------|
|----12----------------------12----------|
|-14----------------------------14-(14)--|
|----------------------------------------|


C#° D
|-------------12h15p12-------------------|-------------14-17-14-------------------*|
|----------14----------14----------------|----------15----------15----------------*|
|-------12----------------12-------------|-------14----------------14-------------*|
|----14----------------------14----------|----16----------------------16----------*|
|-16----------------------------16-(16)--|-17----------------------------17-(17)--*|
|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------*|

|-------------3h7p3-------------|-------------5h8p5--------------|
|-----------3-------3-----------|-----------5-------5------------|
|---------4-----------4---------|---------5-----------5----------|
|-------5---------------5-------|-------7---------------7--------|
|-----5-------------------5-----|-----7-------------------7------|
|-3h7-----------------------7p3-|-5h8-----------------------8p5--|


|--------------7h10p7--------------|----------------8h12p8----------------|
|------------7--------7------------|--------------8--------8--------------|
|----------7------------7----------|------------9------------9------------|
|--------9----------------9--------|---------10----------------10---------|
|------9--------------------9------|------10----------------------10------|
|-7h10------------------------10p7-|-8h12----------------------------12p8-|


|-------------------10h14p10-------------------|
|----------------10----------10----------------|
|-------------11----------------11-------------|
|----------12----------------------12----------|
|-------12----------------------------12-------|
|-10h14----------------------------------14p10-|


|-------------------12h15p12-------------------|
|----------------12----------12----------------|
|-------------12----------------12-------------|
|----------14----------------------14----------|
|-------14----------------------------14-------|
|-12h15----------------------------------15p12-|


|-------------------14h17p14-------------------|
|----------------13----------13----------------|
|-------------14----------------14-------------|
|----------16----------------------16----------|
|-------15----------------------------15-------|
|-14h17----------------------------------17p14-|


|-------------------15h19p15-------------------*|
|----------------15----------15----------------*|
|-------------16----------------16-------------*|
|----------17----------------------17----------*|
|-------17----------------------------17-------*|
|-15h19----------------------------------19p15-*|

[BigBagBill]

Yea, untill latley i've only swept arpeggios. But now i'm getting into alt picking them..Seems harder cause i'm used to sweeping them but that will prolly change after i practice them for a while. Thanks for the arpeggios too by the way Ive been needing some different ones to practice so, these also help me.

[scruffles]

I suppose that on arps that have more than one note on the middle strings, you could use economy picking too, right?

[Lowthorpe]

You could but I suppose for 'true' economy picking you'd need three notes on one string:


--------------------
-----------------x-----
---------------x-------
-------x--x--x---------
-----x---------------
--x-----------------

--D--D-D-U--D-D-D

Unless you did it...

---------------------
----------------x----
-------------x-------
-------x--x----------
-----x---------------
--x------------------

--D--D-U-D--D-D-D

Might be quite awkward that way though. You can always utilize legato in your sweeping too if there's more than one note per string.

Nick

[scruffles]

I don't use a pick, actually.

I was just wondering.

[An Angels Death]

well i'm pretty sure that i cant sweep yet, i mean i'm not even sure where to start on learning that, right now i'm just alt. picking them. Can the patterns that have been given here, be alt. picked too ?

[scruffles]

You can alternate pick anything. Just pick up-down-up-down. On these patterns, though, it's probably a lot easier to use sweep picking.

[An Angels Death]

well what do you recommend for getting started on sweep picking, this technique is very intimidating to me, lol. so any help would be aprecciated

[scruffles]

Well, just start with any of the shapes we've given you, put your metronome on a slow tempo, and pick a note on each beat. Try to get good separation between the notes. Once the patterns are under your fingers, it's all pie.

And to hear perfect sweeps in action, listen to Symphony X's "Smoke and Mirrors", off the album Twilight In Olympus.

[widdly widdly]

Here's a nifty one from a disco tune you might know. It's got Dminor and F major shapes.

10 points to anyone who can spot the tune it's from.



------------------10--------------------10--------------------------
---------------10----10--------------10----10---------------10-----
------------10----------10--------10----------10----9-10-12--------
-----12---------------------12--------------------12----------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------13--12---------------------12---10----------------
-----------13--------13---------------13---------10-------------
--------14---------------14--------14-----------------10--------
-----15-----------------------------------------------------12---
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------

[DemonSorcerer]

Hey...

I wrote an article about the Arpeggio topic for this site...you can look for it in the Archive...you might wanna check it...

DAvid

[_Simon_]

@Fiddly Fiddly : Ah, I know that tune.. it´s ABBA´s "Gimme, gimme..."
I like the version Malmsteen did of that ... Especially that fat double bass line ...

Back to topic :
Well, I cannot sweep at all, but I know that if you want to learn sweep picking, maybe you should start with some easier sweeps ( I think of 3-String sweeps at first). These aren´t too hard ( well, hard enough !! ) and you get used the picking motion,etc ...

Some simple forms come into my mind ... Like :

C major
E -15-12----------
B --------13------
G -----------12---
D ----------------
A ----------------
E ----------------

A minor
E -12--8----------
B --------10------
G -----------9---
D ----------------
A ----------------
E ----------------

[RG2550]

Gimme' Gimme

[oRg]

Here's a nice one to practice. Lets see if anyone can tell me what kind of arpeggios these are...lol.
e|----5-8p5-----7-10p7------8-12p8--------10-14p10------|
B|---6-----6---8------8---10------10----12--------12----|
G|--5-------5/7--------7/9----------9/11------------11--|
D|------------------------------------------------------|
A|------------------------------------------------------|
E|------------------------------------------------------|

[phantom]

Fmajor, Gmajor, Aminor, Bminor.
All 3rd inversions.

Didn't you know? :D

[oRg]

@Phantom:

Well your right but I guess that wasn't the answer I was looking for. That group of arpeggios has a special name. Thats the answer I'm looking for...lol. I could give a hint, but then I think it owuld lose its fun...lol.

[ghandi234]

go through any/ all scales you know and do one octave arps starting from the root to its octave, third to its octave, fifth to its octave, and seventh to its octave through every chord in the key. once youve mastered all of this which would probably take a month or two you should be able to come up with some of your own cool ones.