• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Arpeggios

RandalPinkFloyd

RandalPinkFloyd

Jun 3, 2012
658
558
#1
After scouring the web for an answer to this question, I've now wasted 2 hours of my practice time. Arpeggios. I can find plenty of videos and web sites trying to explain different Arpeggios to play but no one says "why" you learn them or "when" to use them. My Hal Leonard Bass Method books don't appear to even mention them (unless I've over looked that section in my frustration). I've wasted valuable playing time which has my blood pressure boiling. Nothing frustrates me more than instruction where all sorts of information is glossed over or passed under the assumption the student already knows it. Thats what this feels like. :mad: Help would greatly be appreciated. :help:
 
#5
You do know your entire life is a progression not a sprint right? And I'm assuming you are aware of the minute, and incredibly varied methods, ideas, processes, etc, which exist in the bass world? There are whole books dedicated to almost anything you can name. Hal Leonard is a great place to START, which is what you are doing every day, no matter where you are. So from someone who cares, relax a bit, perhaps your one book is not meant to convey everything there is to know about bass playing in one day. Arpeggios are simply put, a series of notes played in succession, usually a full three note chord played one note at a time. When you play them is when you are motivated, or need to do so. Why you play them is among other reasons, (just like playing the bass at all) to train your ear, your hands, fingers, timing, sense of time, and because they sound cool. Also, if you like they can be used to start early using your left hand as a primary mute. Or not. If you are just starting out, spend almost a 1/4 of your time playing so slow, it doesn't even feel like music. During this time concentrate on every ounce of energy you have in each finger, etc. Try your best to use fingers which are not currently employed to be relaxed and ready, or muting or a combination. Speed is not your friend, at least not when you are learning.
 
#6
Arpeggio Patterns: Notes of the chord played one note at a time.

Code: 
Major Scale Box. 
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Basic Chords
• Major Triad = R-3-5
• Minor Triad = R-b3-5
• Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5

7th Chords
• Maj7 = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
• Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
• ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
• Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7

What to do with arpeggios - See a chord coming up in the song - play it's chord tones (arpeggio). As every key will have two major, one dominant seven, three minor and one diminished chord it's a good idea to get your major, dominant, minor and diminished arpeggio patterns (AKA chord tone patterns) into muscle memory so when you see a chord your fingers just know what will work.

Now the song may only give you enough room for the root, or root five - adapt and get as many chord tones into your bass line as needed. Root on 1 and a steady groove from the other chord tones plus something to call attention to the chord change is what we do.
Click to expand...
 
#7
play along to one of your favorite songs, and whenever the bass sits on a note for a bar,try out your arpeggio, if it is a G chord play, G-B-C sharp- and the octave G..how you play it is up to you and then switch it up, play those notes in a different order...thats all teere is to it!
 
#8
RandalPinkFloyd said:
After scouring the web for an answer to this question, I've now wasted 2 hours of my practice time. Arpeggios. I can find plenty of videos and web sites trying to explain different Arpeggios to play but no one says "why" you learn them or "when" to use them. My Hal Leonard Bass Method books don't appear to even mention them (unless I've over looked that section in my frustration). I've wasted valuable playing time which has my blood pressure boiling. Nothing frustrates me more than instruction where all sorts of information is glossed over or passed under the assumption the student already knows it. Thats what this feels like. :mad: Help would greatly be appreciated. :help:
Click to expand...

You never waste time, you have just learned something, but you do not have a use to compare it to.
Why you learn them and how you play them will become more apparent the more you learn them and the more you play them. Consider it a leap of faith, in the same way you learned to count or learned to read. It may not be apparent now but it will as you move forward in your playing.
 
#9
The definition of Apeggio is well set here...
What the OP needs (as all of us learning something new) is someone to show us LIVE, an instructor that can field questions and SHOW what he/she is trying to teach.
It seems that I have scoured TalkBass, day-in and day-out, looking for these same answers, and the one thing that shows as true: people have a real difficult time putting a full concept into writing.
 
#12
tlr1293 said:
The definition of Apeggio is well set here...
What the OP needs (as all of us learning something new) is someone to show us LIVE, an instructor that can field questions and SHOW what he/she is trying to teach.
It seems that I have scoured TalkBass, day-in and day-out, looking for these same answers, and the one thing that shows as true: people have a real difficult time putting a full concept into writing.
Click to expand...

If a player does not know them, they cannot recognise their use.
In learning them and practicing them a student will realise they know lots of practical examples of arpeggios and triads....it's just that they did not recognise them, or if you will identify them, in what they listened to.
I am of the opinion that if you cannot recognise or identify them, then you are not ready to play or use them. Pointing them out or giving lists of examples is not the same as the player finding them theirselves.

For example if I say listen to Blues music, or 50s rock n roll for them in abundance, and in walking bass lines you find them with passing notes....of course you have to recognise what is a passing note and what belongs to the arpeggio....that is why they are practiced so you can recognise them when you hear them.
 
#15
Here's what I've figured out just this week.
After working with Todd Johnson's book 2 (scalar walking) that covers a few fingering patterns for a couple of months and coming back to his book 1 (chord tone walking) and applying the same fingering pattern to those lessons and then switching book altogther to one with no fingering suggestion.
I've found that I can hold a one fret per finger position with 'stretches' for notes out of the home position (This is what T Johnson calls 4 + 2) if I start an arp on root from pinky finger, middle finger or index finger.
Previously I had thought one major scale pattern would work, but I was wrong. Getting my pinky in shape to be up to this task was the biggest breakthrough I've had. Now fingering just seems to flow, where before I was always boxing myself into some awkward corner.
And part of that breakthrough is running arp patterns up and down, starting from the same root -- that really drives the fingering lesson home -- so something like 1 3 5 3 can be played fluiidly going up or down from a root on 3 of 4 fingers. I'm gettng there -- maybe eventually all 4 fingers -- and to the next chord up if the last chord was down etc. Not a bad way to put all things together.
 
#16
Thanks for everyone's input. There are some concepts I pick up easily, while others I really struggle with. This being one of them. Since I tend to soak things up quicker than others, I tend to go 0-angry in 2.5 seconds when I encounter a concept or problem that I don't just figure out right away. Part of my learning process that's vital is knowing "why" which is one of the biggest reasons I lost my temper on this concept.
Another is when I see things like R-b3-b5-bb7. I know the R is for root, then 3rd, fifth, but I have yet to understand all this 7 stuff. Then again I assume it's too early to learn it and figure I can do research on it later when I have a better understanding of music theory. I put in a couple hours every day grow at reading music and trying to incorporate music theory into my lessons while increasing my playing ability. I just get frustrated when I hit a wall.
 
#19
obimark said:
Arpeggios- See just about any and every bass line that is not chugging eighth root notes-

Examples in real world- Lady Madonna, Aces High by Maiden, Most every Lynyrd Skynyd Bassline, etc...
Click to expand...

Yep. Leon Wilkerson was an underrated player IMHO. His bass lines are fun to play.

noeinstein said:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Beat me to it. Scott has some good stuff on his website.
 
#20
Several people sent me the link to the scottsbasslessons arpeggios section and I had found it yesterday before this thread. It didn't really help. I'm not far enough along to know what a C7 on a Dminor 7 on a 7 7 7 at 7-11 is.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back