Creative Arpeggios

How to get more creative while using only simple 3 note arpeggios? I have been asking myself this question ever since I realized that by using complicated (and complex) musical statements, I don't often get the intended musical outcome. I also had before my eyes the example of many talented musicians who were able to use simple triad arpeggios to much effect. Especially pianists are able to manipulate easily this kind of forms by using the wide range of their instrument, repetition and variation.

The simplest idea that we can use in regard to triad arpeggios is the repetition of one triad in different registers (fig. 1)

 

Pianists are able to employ this idea of repetition in more than one or two octaves, but we guitar players are somehow limited by the range of our instrument and of the difficulty of covering a lot of the fret-board, especially at high speed. Here comes into play the second idea: variation. The simplest form of variation, while keeping the idea of playing in multiple registers, is to omit one note of the arpeggio in one register, but play it in another. As we can see in fig. 2, we are omitting the root of the arpeggio in the second octave when we are ascending, but play it when descending whilst omitting the third.

In example 3 we are omitting the root of the arpeggio in the lower octave as well as the third in the second when we are ascending, and then the fifth in the higher octave while resting the phrase on the fifth of the lower octave, omitting both the third and the root. Notice the rhythmic displacement occurring on the first beat of the phrase. By combining these two tools - the omission of one note (or multiple notes) and rhythmic displacement we are able to create a considerable number of variations for our triad arpeggio. You can use the permutation of multiple parameters, such as: the number of notes omitted, the number of consecutive notes omitted, the quality of the notes omitted (root, third, fifth), as well as the value and position of the rhythmic displacement (where do we insert pauses and of which value). The values of the notes played can be also manipulated.

In the next examples I will show you how to bring this variation idea a little further. The main idea is to integrate these arpeggios ideas with linear phrases and sometimes with different quality arpeggios (7th arpeggios, major 9th, minor 9th etc.) Also try to use more than one technique when integrating the arpeggios with linear phrases. I use directional picking most of the time, but legato and alternate picking might be better suited for your purposes.