what are the real advantages with learning arpeggios?

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

I have a book on bass that dedicates one whole page to arpeggio's. I have also been given some other materials I am yet to sink my teeth into.

How do you "learn an arpeggio"? Let's take the major scale in C as an example:

C D E F G A B C

...how many possible arpeggio's are in that? Or am I already on the wrong track?

Like everything thing there are multiple ways and reasons to approach learning arpeggios. You have a book with a page on arpeggios I have a book that only covers arpeggios. As you your question the simple answer is you have an arpeggio for each mode in the scale. All the info relates.

Scale, harmonized scale, modes, arpeggios.

You take a scale and harmonize it to learn harmony and how chords relate in songs.

The harmonized scale is chords, chords could be played as arpeggios.

Scale can be viewed in modes. Harmonized the mode and get the chord mode relates to. Another chord, another chord that can be played as an arpeggio.

Play your scale.
Play the harmonized scale in chords.
Play the harmonized scale in arpeggios.
Play the Dorian mode.
Play the chord for the Dorian mode.
Play the chord as an arpeggio.
continue with all the modes.

See all the interrelationships, music is all math.

So if the song in on a chord the arpeggio gives you the chord tones to base your bassline on. The mode give you notes to use to expand the bassline with. Soloing with the mode and know the arpeggios that relates to the fingering you know where the chord tones are within the mode. There's your target tones.
Walking bassline or soloing know where the chord tones are you know where do chromatic approaches to sound cooler. See knowing one thing helps you use another. What are the Blue notes b3 and b5. Know your arpeggio know where the 3rd and 5th, know where they are easy to drop down a half-step to grab the Blue note and resolve up.

All I'm getting at is when you learn something don't stop at saying I know five arpeggio fingering now. Take the info and see if and how it relates to other things you know. That way learn one little thing can expand in to many things. Also build fret-board knowledge.

[richardjones89]

arpeggios make sense to me now after fishing out an old teach yourself bass book i found a page with many different arpeggios on it. ive been learning the major and minor arpeggios, i think theres 2 of each. these i imagine are the main ones that lay down the basics since theyre the ones it focuses on first. wayhay!

[Phil Smith]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

I have a book on bass that dedicates one whole page to arpeggio's. I have also been given some other materials I am yet to sink my teeth into.

How do you "learn an arpeggio"? Let's take the major scale in C as an example:

C D E F G A B C

...how many possible arpeggio's are in that? Or am I already on the wrong track?

The could quite possibly be over 100 arpeggios in there.

[armandine2]

I joined a music class and was pretty well out of my depth. We had to set a poem to music and create a song. I set Ted Hughes' Lineage to the simplest GCD progression all in an arpeggio bass or as I called it an Alberti bass. Not a complete success but it got me to the punch line in one piece.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

The could quite possibly be over 100 arpeggios in there.

I don't think so.... If you used a chromatic scale.

When studying Jazz there are about 100 chords that you need to learn to solo over and that is with all twelve keys. I'm not counting chords from symmetric scales or clusters.

[IAmTheDood]

again arepggios work on Root - 3rd - 5th as primary notes. That is the chord of the scale. for the C scale it would be C E G.

For major scales, arpeggios generally will be the same fingering position (except when using open strings for the root of the scale.)

example:

E--------------
A--3-----------
D----2---5-----
G--------------
is a basic C scale arpeggio. you'd use the same fingering for a E scale arpeggio on the A string:
E--------------
A--5-----------
D----4---7-----
G--------------

now add in the 7th position:
E--------------
A--5-----------
D----4---7-----
G-----------6--

I also see a lot of 8th (octave arpeggios)
E--------------
A--5-----------
D----4---7-----
G-----------7--

does this help?

[Phil Smith]

Originally Posted by DocBop

I don't think so.... If you used a chromatic scale.

When studying Jazz there are about 100 chords that you need to learn to solo over and that is with all twelve keys. I'm not counting chords from symmetric scales or clusters.

Possible chord arpeggios from the major scale...

7 different triads x 3 possible inversions
7 different 7th chords x 4 possible inversions
7 different 9th chords x 5 possible inversions
7 different 11th chords x 6 posiible inversions
7 different 13th chords x 7 possible inversions

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Phil Smith

Possible chord arpeggios from the major scale...

7 different triads x 3 possible inversions
7 different 7th chords x 4 possible inversions
7 different 9th chords x 5 possible inversions
7 different 11th chords x 6 posiible inversions
7 different 13th chords x 7 possible inversions

I wouldn't break out inversions and color tones as separte arpeggios. To me they are just different fingering patterns of the original arpeggio. Actually if looking at fingerings then only 3 types of triads. Only 4 four types 7th, 9th, and 13th chords. Four 11th chords. Then add in your inversions of those.

You see books like Million and One Guitar chords. I was taught you shouldn't ever have to buy those. Once you know the basics you can create your own because you know how to create chords. Same with arpeggios in beginning you need to get started seeing the basics arpeggios, after that you should know enough to create any arpeggio you need. For example you should need to learn a dominant 7 b9 arpeggio, but know how to add the b9. Same with any altered chord. The key is really knowing this stuff so you can built these as you need them not learn a fingering pattern for each one.

My point being the sooner people get weaned off pages of little dots on graphs and being able to create thier own solutions. Many things start to happen. That is when a bass teacher goes from teaching fingerings and checking reading, to giving new ideas and critiquing playing. When the shift from player to musician begins. When they start freeing themselves to focus on being creative.

[Depth_Charge]

Yeah guys that was pretty helpful in an information overload kind of way

One thing I noticed was this arpeggio here:

E--------------
A--5-----------
D----4---7-----
G--------------

Seems very similar to a line from Crazy Little Thing Called Love, that I play like this, twice:

G-------2-2--4-
D----4---------
A--5-----------
E--------------

Is that also an argeggio? Except the double A's where I'm guessing one A forms part of the arpeggio, then the B, not 2 A's then B LOL.

[ric1312]

Originally Posted by richardjones89

to me they just seem like they 'exsist' and i dont understand what they are used for. anybody?

Well, coming from a noobs perspective, they allow you to play songs without moving all over the fretboard and playing with one finger constantly.

I know my major and minor scales. And usually the covers I learn from tabs fall within the arpeggios within them.

[DocBop]

Originally Posted by Depth_Charge

Yeah guys that was pretty helpful in an information overload kind of way

One thing I noticed was this arpeggio here:

E--------------
A--5-----------
D----4---7-----
G--------------

Seems very similar to a line from Crazy Little Thing Called Love, that I play like this, twice:

G-------2-2--4-
D----4---------
A--5-----------
E--------------

Is that also an arpeggio? Except the double A's where I'm guessing one A forms part of the arpeggio, then the B, not 2 A's then B LOL.

Basslines use arpeggos a lot. Bassically you have tabbed a couple major triad and the Crazy Thing' is a major 6 triad. In fact add a b7 after the 6th and you have the classic Oldies Rock and Roll pattern. The major triads are all over just as themselve like Beatles Lady Modonna, Grateful Dead Turn On You Love Lights. Los Lobas La Bomba, Van Halen Pretty Woman, and on and on. Most Blues basslines are variations on dominant 7th arpeggio.

When I started playing bass way back when, the first thing I learned was major and minor arpeggios then the related 7th chord arpeggios. That carried me a long time before even learning a major scale.

[pointbass]

Originally Posted by DocBop

When I started playing bass way back when, the first thing I learned was major and minor arpeggios then the related 7th chord arpeggios.

Richard, this is really the best advice at this early stage of your playing. Stick to getting comfortable with the basic major and minor arpeggios first, and as Doc says, start popping the 7th in as you get more comfortable.

It's easy to get confused when working towards 9th's, 11th's 13th's etc unless you have the basic triads down. Good luck, and stick with the simple things first ...

BTW, some excellent advice here in this thread for those who are looking to get a handle on entry level theory .....