Arpeggio Lesson – “As Many as Possible”

By Matthew Mills

Matt Mills shooting out some arpeggios at Jammin' Java - Photo credit: Rick Landers

This month’s lesson is based on using minor 11th,  Maj 11, and minor 9 arpeggios. One question I often get at clinics is about what type of arpeggios I use and I always answer with as many as possible!

It’s often assumed that guitarist of the neoclassical shred stlye only use minor major and diminished arpeggios. I try use every type including minor major 7th minor, 7th, 9th, 11th minor, 6th, etcetera. The example below is a good excersise in using such arpeggios.

The first sequence accends up in a minor 11 arpeggio and decends down in E major and does a pivoting run that hints at the Lydian sound with a Major 7th #11 arpeggio then procceds to a D major 11th to a F# minor 9th and finally finishing with B minor 11th and a A major. The example should give you great ways to connect arpeggios.

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