The 23 Essential Guitar Arpeggios to Get

Smooth
January12,2011byKlausCrow22Comments
Photo by Benjamin Deutsch

Arpeggios are often used for

sweep picking also referred as
economy picking (different
from alternate picking).
It is a technique that creates a
fast and fluid sound.
Frank Gambale, Yngwie
Malmsteen among others are
experts in this field. So if you
like to show off or just create
incredible sounds on your
guitar try arpeggio sweep
picking.
Besides using it for fast playing,
I really like to use it as a handy tool for improvisation.
If you dont want to sound like you are playing scales all the time then you can use
arpeggios as an extra ingredient to spice things up with a really nice flavor.
When using arpeggios in improvisation play them occasionally, try to play parts and pieces
or play random notes of an arpeggio to create cool sounding licks. Use your creativity.
Tip1:Not onlyplayarpeggios butusethem in your improvisation.
If you dont do this its like you are learning new words but dont apply them in your
language.
Tip2:Learn every arpeggio in different positions on the neck so you become familiar with

the shape of the arpeggio rather than concentrating on which frets you put your fingers in
one particular postion.
Here are the 23 essentials that can really open up your playing and improvisation skills.
Have fun and work hard.
Youll benefit from it!
#1 D Major Arpeggio
e:--------------2h5p2----------------------------------------|
B:-----------3---------3-------------------------------------|
G:--------2---------------2----------------------------------|
D:-----4---------------------4-------------------------------|
A:--5--------------------------5-----------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#2 Em Minor Arpeggio
e:--------------3h7p3----------------------------------------|
B:-----------5---------5-------------------------------------|
G:--------4---------------4----------------------------------|
D:-----5---------------------5-------------------------------|
A:--7----------------------------7---------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#3 C Major Arpeggio
e:----------------------8h12p8-------------------------------|
B:-------------------8----------8----------------------------|
G:----------------9----------------9-------------------------|
D:------------10----------------------10---------------------|
A:--------10------------------------------10-----------------|
E:--8h12--------------------------------------12p8-----------|

#4 Am7 Arpeggio
e:-------------------------5h8p5-----------------------------|
B:-------------------5--8--------8--5------------------------|
G:----------------5--------------------5---------------------|
D:----------5--7--------------------------7--5---------------|

A:-------7--------------------------------------7------------|
E:-5--8--------------------------------------------8--5------|

#5 C7 Arpeggio
e:--------------------3h6p3----------------------------------|
B:-----------------5---------5-------------------------------|
G:-----------3--5---------------5--3-------------------------|
D:-----2--5---------------------------5--2-------------------|
A:--3---------------------------------------3----------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#6 Gmaj7 Arpeggio
e:-------------------------2h3p2-----------------------------|
B:----------------------3---------3--------------------------|
G:-------------------4---------------4-----------------------|
D:-------------4--5---------------------5--4-----------------|
A:-------2--5---------------------------------5--2-----------|
E:-2--3---------------------------------------------3--2-----|

#7 A Major Arpeggio
e:-------------------5h9p5-----------------------------------|
B:----------------5---------5--------------------------------|
G:-------------6---------------6-----------------------------|
D:----------7---------------------7--------------------------|
A:----4--7---------------------------7--4--------------------|
E:--5---------------------------------------5----------------|

#8 C Minor Arpeggio
e:----------------------8h11p8-------------------------------|
B:-------------------8----------8----------------------------|
G:----------------8----------------8-------------------------|
D:------------10----------------------10---------------------|
A:--------10------------------------------10-----------------|
E:--8h11--------------------------------------11p8-----------|

#9 Em7b5 Arpeggio
e:---------------------6h10p6--------------------------------|

B:------------------8----------8-----------------------------|
G:------------7--9----------------9--7-----------------------|
D:---------8-----------------------------8-------------------|
A:--7--10-----------------------------------10--7------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#10 G7 Arpeggio
e:--------------------------3h7p3----------------------------|
B:--------------------3--6---------6--3----------------------|
G:-----------------4---------------------4-------------------|
D:-----------3--5---------------------------5--3-------------|
A:-----2--5----------------------------------------5--2------|
E:--3-----------------------------------------------------3--|

#11 E Diminished Arpeggio

e:------------------------9h12p9-----------------------------|
B:------------------8-11----------11-8-----------------------|
G:---------------9----------------------9--------------------|
D:---------8-11----------------------------11-8--------------|
A:-----10----------------------------------------10----------|
E:--12----------------------------------------------12-------|

#12 A Major 4 string Arpeggio

e:--------------5h9p5----------------------------------------|
B:-----------5---------5-------------------------------------|
G:--------6---------------6----------------------------------|
D:-----7---------------------7-------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#13 A Minor 4 string Arpeggio

e:--------------5h8p5----------------------------------------|
B:-----------5---------5-------------------------------------|
G:--------5---------------5----------------------------------|
D:-----7---------------------7-------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|


#14 A Major 3 string Arpeggio
e:------------12h17p12---------------------------------------|
B:--------14------------14-----------------------------------|
G:----14--------------------14-------------------------------|
D:-----------------------------------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#15 A Minor 3 string Arpeggio

e:------------12h17p12---------------------------------------|
B:--------13------------13-----------------------------------|
G:----14--------------------14-------------------------------|
D:-----------------------------------------------------------|
A:-----------------------------------------------------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|

#16 G Ionian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------5h8p5----------------------------------|
G:-----------------5--------5--------------------------------|
D:-----------4--7----------------7--4------------------------|
A:--------5----------------------------5---------------------|
E:--3--7----------------------------------7--3---------------|

#17 A Dorian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------7h10p7---------------------------------|
G:-----------------7----------7------------------------------|
D:-----------5--9----------------9--5------------------------|
A:--------7----------------------------7---------------------|
E:--5--8----------------------------------8--5---------------|

#18 B Phrygian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------8h12p8---------------------------------|
G:-----------------9----------9------------------------------|

D:-----------7--10---------------10--7-----------------------|
A:--------9----------------------------9---------------------|
E:--7--10---------------------------------10--7--------------|

#19 C Lydian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------10h13p10-------------------------------|
G:-----------------11----------11----------------------------|
D:-----------9--12---------------12--9-----------------------|
A:--------10---------------------------10--------------------|
E:--8--12---------------------------------12--8--------------|

#20 D Mixolydian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------12h15p12----------------------------|
G:-------------------12-----------12-------------------------|
D:------------10--14------------------14--10-----------------|
A:---------12---------------------------------12-------------|
E:--10--14----------------------------------------14--10-----|

#21 E Aeolian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------13h17p13----------------------------|
G:-------------------14-----------14-------------------------|
D:------------12--16------------------16--12-----------------|
A:---------14---------------------------------14-------------|
E:--12--15----------------------------------------15--12-----|

#22 F# Locrian Arpeggio

e:-----------------------------------------------------------|
B:-----------------------15h19p15----------------------------|
G:-------------------16-----------16-------------------------|
D:------------14--17------------------17--14-----------------|
A:---------15---------------------------------15-------------|
E:--14--17----------------------------------------17--14-----|

#23 A7#5 Arpeggio

e:----------------------9h13p9-------------------------------|
B:---------------9--10---------10--9-------------------------|
G:----------10------------------------10---------------------|
D:------11--------------------------------11-----------------|
A:--12----------------------------------------12-------------|
E:-----------------------------------------------------------|