PLAY: ARPEGGIOS ON THE CD TRACK 18-25

Using Arpeggios In Blues

In this boot-camp style feature Jon Bishop shows how to use
arpeggios in your blues soloing, to boost your knowledge and
technique and make you sound more interesting and musical.

ABILITY RATING techniques such as bending and vibrato. ¿QGWKHDUHDVZKHUHWKHDUSHJJLRVOLQNXS

In this workout we are going to use the QLFHO\([DPSOHVDQGLQWKHWDEDQGDXGLR
Moderate/Advanced blues form as a foundation to practise using demonstrate this approach using simple
arpeggios with a view to incorporating these quaver (8th note) rhythms. Try learning these
INFO WILL IMPROVE YOUR ideas into future solos and improvisations. H[DPSOHV¿UVWDQGWKHQEUDQFKRXWLQWR\RXU
KEY: C Arpeggio fingerings Figure 1 (page 28) outlines four, easy-to- own improvised versions. Remember this is a
TEMPO: 130bpm Ability to link arpeggios XVHDUSHJJLR¿QJHULQJVIRUPDMRUWULDG ‘boot camp’ style exercise to force you into
CD: TRACKS 18-25 Soloing sophistication chords; Figure 2 outlines four popular playing chord tones (arpeggios). You probably
arpeggio shapes for minor triad chords. You wouldn’t choose to play a blues solo in this
USING ARPEGGIOS IS one of the most FDQUHODWHWKHVHDUSHJJLR¿QJHULQJVEDFNWR way for a performance but it’s a great exercise.
effective ways to outline the sound of the WKHRSHQFKRUGVKDSHVWKH\¿WZLWKIRU To make the transitions between the chords as
underlying chords when creating melodies. UHIHUHQFHWKHµ&VKDSH¶DUSHJJLR¿WVZLWKWKH smooth as possible some passing tones are
Many of the most successful melodies ever open C shape chord etc. These shapes can added. These add colour and link the
written have been arpeggio based, but we as used in any position on the neck and will arpeggios so they don’t sound like exercises.
guitar players can be guilty of not using adopt the name of the note they are played Step two is to incorporate some of these
arpeggios as often as we could. from (if C shape arpeggio is played from a G arpeggio ideas into your performance solos
7KLVIHDWXUHLVGHVLJQHGWRZRUNVSHFL¿FDOO\ note it will be a G major arpeggio) but still in and this concept is demonstrated in Examples
on your ability to articulate minor, major and essence retain the open C shape. DQG<RXPD\¿QGWKDWDOWHUQDWHSLFNLQJ
dominant 7 arpeggios, and to keep things Adding in the minor 7th interval to these arpeggios will help you establish a better feel
simple we’ll be using the major and minor with good timing (see technique focus for
EDUEOXHVIRUPVDVDIDPLOLDUSOD\LQJ¿HOG Using arpeggios is one more details). At faster tempos sweep picking
From a stylistic standpoint blues guitar
players often like to construct solos using a of the most effective ways (playing notes on adjacent strings with a
VLQJOHVWURNHLVPRUHHI¿FLHQW
combination of minor and major pentatonic to outline the sound of the The picking strokes have been notated on

underlying chords when

scales. These core scales are embellished with the exercises and sticking to these may feel a
OLWWOHDZNZDUGDW¿UVWEXWZLOOSURYLGHWKH
TECHNIQUE FOCUS creating melodies. most consistent results in the long run.
As ever, have fun using arpeggios in your
Alternate picking arpeggios foundational triad shapes will provide minor blues solos and I’ll see you next time.
At slower tempos using alternate picking to play
arpeggios can provide some real advantages in
DQGGRPLQDQW¿QJHULQJV)LJXUHDQG
terms of improving the overall feel and dynamics. Figure 4 demonstrate this (see page 28).
The most economical way to play notes on These 7th chords provide extra colour and GET THE TONE
adjacent strings is with a single stroke of the pick are only one note short of our much loved
- an ascending arpeggio would be played with pentatonic scales.
all down strokes, and visa versa. At slow tempos It is a good idea to tie together a chord 7 6 7 7 4
however it is difficult to maintain even timing
when picking this way - it can become ‘lumpy’.
shape and its arpeggio and scale shape into
GAIN BASS MIDDLE TREBLE REVERB
The alternate picking technique improves timing one position as this helps blur the line
at slow to medium tempos because it adds a between rhythm and lead playing. This To play the ideas in this feature virtually any sound
will do, ranging from acoustic guitar right through
mechanical, pendulum style movement to the concept allows the guitarist to pick and choose to an overdriven electric. The lead guitar tone used
picking hand. The constant movement of the what to play, while staying relevant to the for the audio examples here was created with an
picking arm up and down also helps retain a overall harmonic context. Ibanez Tube Screamer and the bridge pickup of a
consistent dynamic and you will find it easier to PRS Custom 22. You may find a neck pickup setting
accent notes in a musical way with this technique.
Once you have digested and practised can be flattering, especially for the faster picking
The hardest thing to master is consistency, as SOD\LQJWKHVHDUSHJJLRVKDSHV\RX¶OO¿QG\RX runs. Jazz guitarists, too, often favour the neck
the pick will often be skipping strings when will be able to use them to navigate the blues pickup as it has a fuller tone, helps reduce picking
noise and adds smoothness. With some practice a
playing more complex patterns. The best plan is form and sound instantly more focused.
bridge pickup tone sounds great and cuts through,
to start very slowly and be strict with yourself. The Step one is to slowly walk through the but you will need to be more accurate. To get the
alternate picking regime of down up, down up 12-bar form using the appropriate arpeggio sound from this article simply select your bridge or
needs to be maintained if you are to reap the full neck pickup, dig in hard and dial up a nice crunchy
benefits of using this technique.
and then change to the next arpeggio at the
overdrive with a touch of reverb.
correct time. As you do this you will start to

TRACK RECORD If you’d like to hear some great examples of arpeggio usage while soloing in the blues style, be sure to check out Robben
Ford’s epic Talk To Your Daughter; Sapphire Blue by Larry Carlton; Alien Love Secrets by Eric Johnson; Dust Bowl by Joe Bonamassa; and
Continuum by John Mayer. All these guitarists use arpeggios in one way or another in their playing - learn to spot them!

26 GuitarTechniques July 2014

 USING ARPEGGIOS IN BLUES
IMAGO / PHOTOSHOT

Robben Ford here

playing his lovely
Epiphone Riviera

July 2014 GuitarTechniques 27

 PLAY: ARPEGGIOS ON THE CD TRACK 18-25

FIG 1 MAJOR TRIAD ARPEGGIO FINGERINGS

FIG 2 MINOR TRIAD ARPEGGIO FINGERINGS

FIG 3 DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIO FINGERINGS

FIG 4 MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIO FINGERINGS

28 GuitarTechniques July 2014

 USING ARPEGGIOS IN BLUES

EXAMPLE 1 DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS WITH SMOOTH TRANSITIONS TRACK 18

This first example is a good workout that navigates the 12-bar blues it demonstrates how effective using arpeggios can be. Once you have
form with dominant 7th arpeggio shapes. The idea here is to establish mastered this you can use the backing track to improvise, using a mixture
a fretboard roadmap of where all the notes are, and also establish some of arpeggio ideas and more conventional blues phrases. Check out the
good points to link the various arpeggios. For this first example the transitions between the chords. Some favourites are going from E (3rd
fingering has also been notated (small numbers next to the notation). To of C7) to F (root of F7) and Bb (minor 7th of C7) to A (3rd of F7). You can
keep things simple from a rhythmic standpoint we are using 8th notes also use passing notes from outside the tonality. These passing tones add
(quaver) exclusively. Obviously this is not a fully functioning solo yet, but colour and also make the transitions smooth and sophisticated.

©»¡£º C7
¡ ¡ ™
F7
b£ ™ C7
™ ¡ ™
¡ ™ ¡ ™ ™ ™ ¡ b£ ¡ £ ¡ ™ £
‰ ‰
ƒ Bridge pickup with overdrive
BU
E 12 12 8 11 10 8
B 13 13 13 10 10 10 10 11 8
G 12 12 10 (12 ) 10 8 9
D 10
A
E
1




continue with alternate picking

~~~ F7
~~~ £ £ ¡ b£ £
¡ £ ¡ ™
£ ¡
£ ¡
‰ £ ¡
¡
£ ¡ £ ™ ™

E
~~~ ~~~ 8 11 11 8 11 8 11 8
B 10 10
G 8 10
D 8 10 8 7 10
A 10 10 9 8
E
4

b
C7

£
¡ n™ ¡
¡ ¡
G7

™ ¡ ¡
F7
£ ~~~
£ ¡ ™ £ ¡ £
¡ £ ¡ ¡
£ ‰ ¢ £ ‰
¡

E 11 13 11 12 8 7
~~~
B 8 8 8 8 10
G 10 8 9 8 7 10
D 10 8 10 9 10 7
A 10 10
E
7

C7
b £ ¡
G7
¢ ¢
¡ ™ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡
¡ £ ™ ¡ £ ™
‰
¡ ¡ .

E 11 12 8 7 10 7 10 7 8
B 8 8 8 8 8
G 10 9 8 7 10 9
D
A
E
11

July 2014 GuitarTechniques 29

 PLAY: ARPEGGIOS ON THE CD TRACK 18-25

Joe Bonamassa:
uses arpeggios in
his blues playing

30 GuitarTechniques July 2014

 USING ARPEGGIOS IN BLUES

EXAMPLE 2 DOMINANT 7TH ARPEGGIOS WITH FASTER PASSAGES TRACK 20

This second example expands on Example 1 by adding 8th note triplets a hybrid picking technique (pick and fingers) as this will make the
and semiquaver (16th note) rhythms. This example sounds more string-skipping element easier. Bar 11 features the old blues trick of
musical and the combination of rhythmic flourishes and more musical bending the minor 3rd slightly sharp. This helps it fit in with the C7 – it’s
phrasing really brings the concept of using arpeggios to life. The idea essentially the same as playing a C7 arpeggio but provides a dirtier,
in bar 12 is a little tricky to play but well worth it. You may wish to use much more blues orientated sound.

~~~
©»¡£º C7~~~ F7
b
C7
b n
b b

ƒ Bridge pickup with overdrive

3

E
~~~ ~~~
8 8 8 11 8 13 11 13 15 13 15 11 12
B 11 8 11 9 10 13
G 12 10
D
A


 

E
1
 continue with alternate picking

3 3
F7 b b
‰
3 3
Light PM

BU BD BU BD
E 8 11 11 13 11 13 13 11 13 11
B 10
G 9 (10) ( 9 ) 8 10
D 10 7 10
A 10 8 7 (8 ) (7 ) 8
E
4

b nC 7 œ G7

‰ ‰
3 3
3

E 11 12 12 13 15 15 12 12 12 7 10 7 10
B 13 13 13 13 8
G 12 12 12 7
D 14 9
A 10
E
7
         

bF7 bœ
~~~ C7
b
1/4
G7 C7
~~~
‰ ‰
3

~~~
Light PM

E 11 10 8
~~~ 1/4

7 10 7 8
B 10 10 11 13 11 8 8
G 10 8 7 7
D 10 9 9
A
E
10

July 2014 GuitarTechniques 31

 PLAY: ARPEGGIOS ON THE CD TRACK 18-25

EXAMPLE 3 MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS WITH SMOOTH TRANSITIONS TRACK 22

Now we switch our attention to the minor blues using the same process Adding intervals to our standard minor 7 arpeggios can provide some
as we did for the dominant (major) blues. This example again uses very musical results. Guitar players like Robben Ford often treat the
simple quaver rhythms to establish a fretboard roadmap from which minor 7 chord arpeggio as home base and then add in the 9th, 11th
we can start to improvise. The minor blues form we are going to use is and 13th as target tones. A light palm mute adds in some rhythmic
classic BB King style progression in which the V chord is a 7#9 that is definition and also helps with dynamic variation. Try the following
proceeded by a major 7 chord a semitone above. We can add the D into example, but stick to the alternate picking regime and start at
our Am7 arpeggio as a colour tone and this gives us A minor pentatonic. a slow tempo to facilitate accuracy and the natural build-up to speed.

©»¡£º A m7 D m7 Am7
œ œ
‰
ƒ
Bridge pickup with overdrive
Light PM Light PM

E 5 8 5 8
B 5 8 5 8 6 5 6 5
G 7 7 5 7 9 5
D 7 7
A






E
1
continue with alternate picking

Dm7 ~~~
‰
Light PM

E 5 8 10 8
~~~ 12 8 10 7
B 8 5 6 10
G 7 5 7 5 7
D 7
A
E
4

A m7 Fmaj7
~~~
‰

E 10 7 8 5
~~~ 8
B 8 8 5 8 5 6 5 6 5
G 7 5 7 5 7 5 7
D X
A
E
7

#
E7 9 Am7 E7 9# A m7
 ~~~ ~~~

E
~~~ ~~~
4 7 10 7 10 12 15 12 12 16 12 12 16 17
B 5 9 13 12 12
G 4 13
D
A
E
10

32 GuitarTechniques July 2014

 USING ARPEGGIOS IN BLUES

John Mayer: adept

at arpeggiation!

EXAMPLE 4 MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS WITH FASTER PASSAGES TRACK 24

This final example puts our minor blues roadmap to work and a descending arpeggio with an upward sweep. Some articulation such
combines some of our arpeggio concepts with more conventional as finger slides, vibrato and string bending will really help to breath
blues ideas such as string bending and vibrato. The ascending triplet life into the phrases. The basic rule here is you can’t do too much of
arpeggio flourishes are best played with sweep picking (a single this - the more nuance and articulation the better. The descending E
stroke across the strings). These have been notated in the tab and an major arpeggios in bar 10 are a bit fiddly but worth the effort as they
ascending arpeggio is played with a downward sweep of the pick and up the excitement level greatly.

©»¡£º Am7 ~~~

Dm7
~~~ œ
A m7
œ œ œ
œ
‰ ‰ ‰

E
~~~ 8 10 8 8
~~~ BU
10 (12 )
BU
10 (12 )
BU
10 (12 ) 10 (12)
BU

B 8 10 8 8 10 10 10 10
G 9
D
A

 
 
E
1
continue with alternate picking

~~~
~~~~
D m7
œ
‰
3 3 3

E
BU
10 (12 )
BD
(10 ) 8
~~~~ 5 8 5 10 8 12 10 15 12 15
BU
(17 )
~~~
B 10 10 6
G 5 7
D
A
E
4

  
July 2014 GuitarTechniques 33
 PLAY: ARPEGGIOS ON THE CD TRACK 18-25

EXAMPLE 4 MINOR 7TH ARPEGGIOS WITH FASTER PASSAGES ...CONTINUED TRACK 24

1/4
1
Am7 /4 Fmaj7

3 3
3
1/4 1/4

E 12 5 8 5 8
B 13 15 13 6
G 14 12 5
D 14 12 10 12 14 10 7
A 12 8

   


E
7

#
E7 9 A m7
~ E7 9# Am
w ~~~~~
œ
œ .
‰
3 3 3

BU BD ~~ BU ~~~~~
E 7 4 10 7 10 (12 ) (10 ) 8 10 8 7 10 7 12 10 15 12 15 (17 )
B 5 9 10 8 8 10 8 9
G 4 9 9 9 9
D
A
E
10 







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34 GuitarTechniques July 2014