Online Guitar Lessons by Los Angeles Guitar Academy's LAGA Online

Arpeggios are chords whose notes are played separately, in succession.  The simplest arpeggios involve playing the notes in the chord one after another, in order.  The steps outlined below will give you the tools to play an upward arpeggio, one that moves from lower-pitched notes to higher ones.   You will need to prepare the notes of the chord that you want to play before trying to execute the arpeggio.  The following are the instructions for a simple upward arpeggio, using open strings:

1. Prepare both hands as if you were going to play a chord.
2. Play the sixth string with your thumb.  Do not move your fingers. Play a rest stroke, leaving your thumb on the fifth string in order to better support your hand.
3.  Play the  third string with your index finger.  Keep both your middle fingers and your ring fingers in place, then perform a free stroke.
4. Play the second string with your middle finger, but leave your ring finger where it is.  This is difficult, because these two fingers lack the strength and control that the others naturally have.  Guitarists must exercise these weaker fingers to help balance their strength.
5.  Play the first string with your ring finger.
6. Return to the original position and repeat as many times as you need.  Quality, not quantity or speed, is the key to mastering arpeggios, or any other musical skill, for that matter.


Feel free to visit LA Guitar Academy's website for guitar lessons in Los Angeles area, or go to LAGA Online's home page to take online guitar lessons from the LAGA Faculty.