Arpeggios 

For arpeggios I recommend learning the chord shape first followed by the harmonic arpeggio and finally the melodic arpeggio. For example start with a C major chord shape. Once learned teach the C harmonic arpeggio by asking the student to simply hold the chord while picking one note at a time. Finally, teach them the melodic arpeggio. For each level of the G4 Method program we introduce a new chord then work on the arpeggios for that chord. This also helps with clarity.

Teaching Harmonic Arpeggios 

With harmonic arpeggios combining the two hands is the goal but the focus should initially be on the picking hand. In fact, when I teach arpeggios I would begin without the fretting hand. It is really just another picking exercise. The strategy, is again to build one step at a time. Let’s use the one finger C and G7 as the example.

1. Play a straight 1, 2, 3, 4 count on strings 3, 2, 1, 2. Once your student is comfortable you can move to step 2. 

2. Introduce the one finger chord C.

3. Add the one finger G7 chord getting your student to change between the two chords.

4. Add the G chord and play a four bar pattern. C / / / | G7 / / / | G / / /| G7 / / /|| By the time your student can play this pattern they will have gained an understanding of arpeggios and will be able to identify more difficult patterns.

Isolation

My main message to students is isolation. When learning songs with arpeggios break it down. Start by separating the chords from the picking patterns. Students often try to do both and get frustrated. Our role as teachers is to help them avoid these unnecessary frustrations and to understand the true challenge at hand. A song like Hotel California has a number of chords and the arpeggios change on every chord. Compare it to a song like Good Riddance and students soon become aware of the degree of difficulty between songs creating more realistic expectations.

I think it’s also useful to give popular examples of arpeggios that students can relate to. Stairway to Heaven, Nothing else matters and House of the Rising Sun are all good examples.Exercise: Start with open notes only. Pick with the following patterns marked by alphabetic letters. The numbers indicate string numbers.

  • A. 1, 2.

  • B. 1, 2, 3, 2

  • C. 4, 3, 2, 1,  2, 3.

  • D. 5, 3, 2, 1,  2, 3.

  • E. 6, 3, 2, 1,  2, 3.

  • F. 4, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1.

  • G. 5, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1.

  • H. 6, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1.

  • I. 4, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2

  • J. 5, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2

  • K. 6, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2

Teaching Melodic Arpeggios

Below is an example of a C major melodic arpeggio but again, feel free to use your preferred version. Remember, start with the first 2 notes and build one note at a time just like with scales. To see more melodic arpeggios refer to the G4 Arpeggios Book.