How To Use Guitar Arpeggios When Improvising

I've had quite a few subscribers ask me how to start using guitar arpeggios when improvising. So I thought it would be a really good idea to create a lesson on it. :-)

There are many different approaches you could take in learning to use arpeggios. But for this lesson, let's take one approach that I've found to be very effective. Here are the steps that you need to take...

Step One: Decide On A Musical Context

Like many things in music, you learn how to use arpeggios by applying them to real-life musical structures such as chord progressions or songs. For example, check out the chord progression below...

This chord progression is called a major II-V-I progression, and is incredibly common in jazz guitar. You'll notice that in the example shown above you need to do the following...

• Play an F Minor 7th chord for the first bar. (This chord has the formula 1 b3 5 b7 and is made up of the following notes: F Ab C and Eb).
• Play a Bb Dominant 7th for the second bar. (This chord has the formula 1 3 5 b7 and is made up of the following notes: Bb D F and Ab).
• Play an Eb Major 7th chord for the last two bars. (This chord has the formula 1 3 5 7 and is made up of the following notes: Eb G Bb and D).

OK. Let's now start taking a look at how to use arpeggios over this progression. Although there are MANY possible approaches you could take, let's look at one that I feel is a really good starting place...

Step Two: Decide On An Area Of The Fretboard

The idea in this step is to choose a small chunk of the fretboard to focus on at any one time. This makes learning the arpeggios easier, and also helps you from feeling too overwhelmed.

For this lesson we'll stick to frets 3 to 6 only. (You could choose ANY part of the fretboard, but for this lesson we'll use frets 3 to 6).

Step Three: Map The Notes Of Each Chord Onto A Fretboard Diagram

For this step you work out the notes of each of the chords within the area of the fretboard that you chose in Step Two. Below are some that I prepared earlier. Notice that all of the diagrams use frets 3 to 6 only...

Important Reminder: Chords and arpeggios are the same thing. For Example: An F Minor 7th chord has exactly the same notes as an F Minor 7th arpeggio. So what's the difference between chords and arpeggios? With a chord we play the notes all at the same time. With an arpeggio we play the notes one at a time. For more details, I recommend checking out the article below... What Are Guitar Arpeggios?

In this step you take the notes that you mapped out in Step Three, and then create arpeggio exercises from those notes. These exercises will go from the lowest sounding note to the highest sounding note shown on the fretboard diagrams above.

For Example: To create the F Minor 7th exercise you will start on the 4th fret of the thick E-string. You will then play through each note until you reach the 4th fret on the thin E-string. (To get a better understanding of what I've just said, I recommend comparing the fretboard diagrams of F Minor 7 with the first exercise shown below).

When you look at the exercises below, you'll notice that I have written them out using a combination of picking and hammer-ons and pull-offs. The reason why I added the hammer-ons and pull-offs is that I feel it makes the exercises sound more musical. (Sometimes it can sound a bit too mechanical to pick all the notes).

Of course, when you learn the exercises, feel free to pick them however you want. If you want to alternate pick them, then do that. If you want to sweep pick them, then do that. There are no rules. :-)

F Minor 7th Arpeggio Exercise:

Bb Dominant 7th Arpeggio Exercise:

Eb Major 7th Arpeggio Exercise:

VIDEO: Demonstrating The Arpeggios

 Step Five: Create A Practice Routine and Get To Work

 This is the most important part...so be sure to work hard at this step!

Obviously, it's hard to write down a practice routine that would suit everyone. This is because we all have different musical goals. But to give you an idea of the sort of routine you might create, here's an example of the sort of routine I would create for myself...

Practice Routine Part One: Fretboard Knowledge, Technique and Ear Training

	Practice the F Minor 7th exercise: 5 Minutes
	Practice the Bb Dominant 7th exercise: 5 Minutes
	Practice the Eb Major 7th exercise: 5 Minutes

As I practice each arpeggio exercise, I would have a backing track playing in the background. This backing track would be playing the chord that relates to the arpeggio. In other words...

• I would practice the F Minor 7th arpeggio exercise over a backing track that is playing an F Minor 7th chord.
• I would practice the Bb Dominant 7th arpeggio exercise over a backing track that is playing a Bb Dominant 7th chord.
• I would practice the Eb Major 7th arpeggio exercise over a backing track that is playing an Eb Major 7th chord.

 For your convenience, here are the exact backing tracks that I would use. Be sure to download them, and use them when you practice...

• F Minor 7th Chord Backing Track 
• Bb Dominant 7th Chord Backing Track 
• Eb Major 7th Chord Backing Track 

 

Practice Routine Part Two: Improvisation

Practice improvising over the full II-V-I progression: 15 Minutes

For this part of the practice routine I would jam over the II-V-I progression using nothing but the arpeggio fingerings I had practiced in part one.

Here's a II-V-I backing track for you to download...

• II-V-I Backing Track 

I would repeat this practice routine as often as possible until the I felt that I had a good grasp the material. 

VIDEO: Demonstrating Soloing Over The Backing Track Using The Arpeggios

It is very important to try and stick to only the arpeggios. This will help you to master the arpeggios much sooner.

The downside of course, is that this often makes improvising MUCH harder because you can't use any other musical materials to create your solo. (There were definitely quite a few times when I was tempted to play things other than just the arpeggios!).

A Few Final Words

I hope that this guitar lesson has given you some insight into how to start using arpeggios. If you start diligently using the five steps covered in this lesson, I have no doubt your arpeggio knowledge and ability will grow in leaps and bounds!

All the best,

Craig