Arpeggios
Up to this point, everything you have learned has been based on the use of scales. There are also other important groupings of notes called arpeggios. An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time.
The value of arpeggios is that they enable you to play lines which fit chord progressions perfectly, since every note of an arpeggio is a note of the accompanying chord. The following example demonstrates a C major arpeggio which consists of the notes C, E and G. These are the root, third and fifth of a C major chord.
Here is an F major arpeggio which consists of the notes F, A and C. These are the root, third and fifth of an F major chord.
Like scales, it is important to be able to play arpeggios in every key. The following example demonstrates major arpeggios played around the key cycle. Play them all in the first position and then move them through all five forms. Name each arpeggio as you play.
