| When learning how to play effective lead guitar, | | | | from their fuller scales, you'll know how to use |
| there are two areas guitarists must be prepared | | | | exactly the same process with arpeggios. |
| to delve into - the theoretical side, and the | | | | 2) You need to be able to make the fingering of |
| physical side. Theoretical aspects include things like | | | | these "chords" more appropriate for lead guitar |
| knowing your scales, knowing how certain notes | | | | phrasing |
| work to highlight particular tensions, basically | | | | Regular chords are naturally created to be |
| anything that involves the translation of the | | | | "boxed" in, to allow all the tones of the chord to |
| creative mind onto the fretboard. The physical | | | | be reachable, with your static fretting hand. |
| aspects include techniques such as hammer-ons, | | | | However, lead guitar is about dancing your fingers |
| vibratos, tapping, and anything that involves your | | | | across the fretboard and creating more kinetic |
| fingers really working the creativity onto the | | | | phrasing. |
| fretboard. | | | | This is where knowledge of ascending and |
| Arpeggios are no exception - they involve both | | | | descending scales comes in. A lot of scales we |
| these aspects. | | | | learn as guitarists are presented in "boxed" |
| Firstly, let's define what an arpeggio is: simply, the | | | | format, spanning only 4 frets, but what you need |
| notes of a chord played separately in a sequence. | | | | to realise is that the tones used in these boxed |
| So whereas with a regular rhythm chord you | | | | scales recur across whole fretboard (this is a |
| would make the notes overlap, or play them | | | | whole lesson in itself!) |
| simultaneously, arpeggios as a lead guitar | | | | So if you can get into the mindset of learning |
| technique involve the dynamics of one note at a | | | | broader scale patterns, you'll be able to give your |
| time, with each note cleanly separated from the | | | | fingers the "breathing space" to embellish slides, |
| last. The effect is very different. | | | | hammer ons, pull offs etc. into your arpeggios. |
| As a lead guitar technique, you have the benefit | | | | Whereas regular static chords devote one string |
| of using slides, hammers, pulls etc. within the | | | | to each note, arpeggios across wider scale |
| arpeggio, giving it even more depth. This is where | | | | patterns can accomodate more than one note |
| the physical aspect comes in. However, there is | | | | per string, which allows hammer ons, pull offs and |
| theory (ah, the dreaded T word) to learn before | | | | other physical lead guitar techniques to be used. |
| one can master the physical side of this technique. | | | | 3) Finally, make sure you know how to |
| 1) You need to know how chords work within | | | | incorporate arpeggios into your regular solos |
| scales | | | | Let's say your solo is in the key of A major - |
| Remember this, if nothing else: Where there is a | | | | would you keep it all simple and just play an A |
| chord, there is an arpeggio! | | | | major arpeggio? |
| Since arpeggios are theoretically the same as | | | | Or would you spice it up a little and use the rules |
| chords, we can use the same process to pull the | | | | of modal music to play an arpeggio from a |
| notes we need from scales. | | | | different chord, but still within the key/scale of A |
| Think of the scales (especially the "natural" major | | | | major? |
| scale) as the pot from which we draw the tones | | | | If we look at the modal scale (or "chord scale") of |
| we need to create a particular chord. In the world | | | | the key of A major, these are our basic options: |
| of lead guitar, this process can also be seen as | | | | (I)A Major - (ii)B minor - (iii)C# minor - (IV)D |
| identifying "tensions" or "flavours", that build up | | | | Major - (V)E Major - (vi)F# minor - (vii)Ab |
| the melodic soundscape. | | | | diminished |
| E.g. if we wanted an A major flavour, we would | | | | So for example, we could play an F# minor |
| pull out the Root (1), 3rd (3) and 5th (5) from the | | | | arpeggio over an A major key solo and it would |
| A major scale. Of course, the A major scale | | | | still be compatible. This is all about knowing what |
| appears across the whole fretboard - you just | | | | your options are, experimenting and seeing which |
| need to know where these tones are situated in | | | | one suits the emotion you're trying to convey. |
| relation to the scale. | | | | This is essentially what musical creativity boils |
| If we wanted an A minor flavour, we would pull | | | | down to. |
| out the Root (1), flat 3rd (b3) and 5th (5) from | | | | So, if you follow this process of learning, you |
| the A major scale. No, that wasn't a typo - minor | | | | should become confident with not only the |
| chords are still referenced against the natural | | | | physical side of playing arpeggios, but also the |
| major scale. That's why we label a "flat 3rd" as | | | | creative and improvisational side. |
| "flat" - it is flat in relation to its natural position in | | | | Enjoy the learning experience, take your time, |
| the major scale! | | | | explore the fretboard and above all... experiment!. |
| Once you learn how to pull chord tones right out | | | | |