Arpeggios Vs Chord tones Solo?

Hi all, just want to know how arpeggios work in a solo as opposed to chord tones. Are they the same and if not what's the difference?

Arpeggios are chords; but rather than hitting all the notes at the same time like a chord, you hit them one at a time.

Theres hundreds of video lessons on youtube, heres just a random one I pulled from Paul Gilbert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWw9EAJWAsI

Originally Posted by: kjproHi all, just want to know how arpeggios work in a solo as opposed to chord tones. Are they the same and if not what's the difference?

Jarsew gave you the right answer: arpeggios are broken chords, chords played one note at a time instead of all at once, ergo, using chord tones to play a solo is essentially the same as using arpeggios to play a solo.

These tutorials can show you how in blues:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=826

In rock:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=973
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=980

Here's the basics of sweeping:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=985

And some advanced ideas:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=408
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=211

I'll be updating those to High-Definition video soon. :)

You might also have a look at targeting chord tones in this series of tutorials on the basics of improvisation:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=876
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=483
http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=491

Douglas Showalter also recently did a tutorial on chord tone soloing:

http://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=958

Hope this helps. Have fun!

So then if i understand you correctly chord tone solo is just another way to say arpeggio?

Originally Posted by: kjproSo then if i understand you correctly chord tone solo is just another way to say arpeggio?

An arpeggio is the technique of playing chord tones, which are the notes of a chord. Therefore, an arpeggio is one possible way of playing chord tones.

You can use them to play solos, as well as melodies or chords of a song.

Originally Posted by: kjproHi all, just want to know how arpeggios work in a solo as opposed to chord tones. Are they the same and if not what's the difference?

Arpeggios are sequential successions of the chord tones (in whatever their arrangement: root position, first inversion, second inversion, etc). Arpeggios do not have to be played in a sweep manner, but for many guitarists they usually are for dramatic effect. It is using the inherit emotion of the chord as a lick or a line instead of a "block".

Chord tones are not necessarily played in sequential fashion. You can play chord tones in any order at any time. Arpeggios, no matter the rhythm played are always played in a specific order depending on the chord used. So some examples for using chord tones are: in a melody, or in a lick, or in a tapping, or in legato lines, etc. Chord tones in solos often function as the release of tension. You use the non-chord tones as the tension builders, but use the chord tones as the moments of release.

Chord tones can be used to build melodies and keep your playing grounded in what the harmony is. It's a great way to have your solos or melodies make sense and keep the listener's attention. Arpeggios can be used in soloing and makes for a more dramatic and flashier effect without getting to "outside" the harmony that you are soloing over. I have a video posted that covers how to handle a I IV V7 chord progression with chord tones and basically building arpeggios on one string at a time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orDodMda98

Hope you enjoy!

All the best,
Joe Pinnavaia
www.guitarlessonsbuffalony.com

You can use arpeggios as a way of playing chord tones in your solo or whatever you are working out on your instrument. However, they are not one in the same. Say you are playing over a C major chord, you could play an A minor arpeggio over the top of it and it would sound great. In that A minor, you have an A; which is not in a C chord. So, in that application you are only playing some of the chord tones. You can use both the arpeggios and chord tones in your solos. More importantly, whatever you play; OWN IT!

I have a Chord Tone Soloing tutorial up on Guitar Tricks that uses arpeggios and such at the link below. Good luck! :eek:

Chord Tone Soloing Tutorial

I think a great example of chord and non chord tones in one lick is the classic blues m3rd-maj3rd over a dominant 7 chord lick:

A7: 1 3 5 b7 A C# E G

Eg:

5 to 6 fret 3rd/G string (C b3 "non chord tone" to C# 3, A chord tone) then 5th fret B/2nd string (giving an E, thus the 5th) then 5th fret E/1st string (A which is root/tonic/1 whatever you want to call it!) then bending the b7 G at 8th fret B/2nd string up to the root note A.

"Real deal" players tend to approach a blues using Dom7 (or 9 etc) chords by playing the relevant arpeggios, Mixolydian and minor pentatonic scales all combined, weaving in and out of the underlying chord below.

Check out Robben Ford, Carl Verhyan and similar...