Arpeggio

G arpeggios 1/11: G major arpeggio (G), 2 positions and horizontal playing

Difficulty :

| Recommended tempo: 60 bpm | Author : deus400

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Instructions

G arpeggios, exercise 1/11: the G major arpeggio (G, also written G (book: G Majeur)). How it is built, what makes it different from the other arpeggios, what it is used for, and how to play it in 2 "vertical" positions and "horizontally".

An arpeggio is a chord whose notes are played one after the other. It is the best way to "draw" a chord when improvising: your playing becomes more open and melodic than with a scale played note by note.

The G arpeggio series

All the arpeggios in the series are in G, so you can clearly see what changes from one arpeggio to the next. This table is the same in every exercise: the arpeggio worked on here is in bold. Click another arpeggio to open its exercise.

#	Arpeggio	Symbol	1	Third	Fifth	Seventh	Notes in G
1	▶ G major	G	1	3	5	–	G B D
2	G minor	Gm	1	♭3	5	–	G B♭ D
3	G major 7	Gmaj7	1	3	5	7	G B D F♯
4	G minor 7	Gm7	1	♭3	5	♭7	G B♭ D F
5	G dominant 7	G7	1	3	5	♭7	G B D F
6	G minor 7 flat 5 (half-diminished)	Gm7♭5	1	♭3	♭5	♭7	G B♭ D♭ F
7	G minor major 7	GmMaj7	1	♭3	5	7	G B♭ D F♯
8	G major 7 sharp 5	Gmaj7♯5	1	3	♯5	7	G B D♯ F♯
9	G diminished 7	G°7	1	♭3	♭5	6	G B♭ D♭ E
10	G augmented	G+	1	3	♯5	–	G B D♯
11	G major 7 flat 5	Gmaj7♭5	1	3	♭5	7	G B D♭ F♯

How is the G major arpeggio built?

Formula: 1 - 3 - 5, i.e. the notes G - B - D. From the root (G):

3 = B: major 3rd (4 frets above the root)
5 = D: perfect 5th (7 frets above the root)

What changes: This is the basic arpeggio: three notes, the root, the major third and the perfect fifth. Every other arpeggio in the series is built by changing or adding one note to this one (or to G minor).

The major chord is found on degrees I, IV and V of the major scale.

What is it used for?

Play over a G major chord (G), in any style: pop, rock, country, jazz.
In G major it is chord I; in D major, chord IV; in C major, chord V.
It is the "skeleton" on which the major 7, dominant 7 and augmented arpeggios are built.

How to practice it

Start with the chord: each arpeggio position is built around a chord shape. Strum the chord, then play its notes one by one.
Position 1 (vertical): root on the low E string, 3rd fret, between frets 2 and 6. Go up from the lowest note to the highest, then back down.
Position 2 (vertical): root on the A string, 10th fret, between frets 9 and 13.
Horizontal playing: the same arpeggio moving across the neck, from the 3rd fret upwards, to connect the two positions.
Say the degrees (1, 3, 5) out loud while playing: this is what lets you transpose to every key later.
With a metronome: 60 bpm, two notes per beat, up and down, with alternate picking. Gradually work up to 90 bpm.

The 2 positions of the G chord

Position 1: root on the 6th string (3rd fret). Position 2: root on the 5th string (10th fret). x = string not played.

e|--3--|--10-|
B|--3--|--12-|
G|--4--|--12-|
D|--5--|--12-|
A|--5--|--10-|
E|--3--|--x--|
  pos.1  pos.2

Position 1, "vertical" (frets 2 to 6)

e|-------------------3--|-3--------------------|
B|----------------3-----|----3-----------------|
G|-------------4--------|-------4--------------|
D|----------5-----------|----------5-----------|
A|----2--5--------------|-------------5--2-----|
E|-3--------------------|-------------------3--|
   1  3  5  1  3  5  1  |  1  5  3  1  5  3  1

Position 2, "vertical" (frets 9 to 13)

e|-------------------10-|-10-------------------|
B|----------------12----|----12----------------|
G|-------------12-------|-------12-------------|
D|-------9--12----------|----------12-9--------|
A|----10----------------|----------------10----|
E|-10-------------------|-------------------10-|
   5  1  3  5  1  3  5  |  5  3  1  5  3  1  5

Arpeggio played "horizontally"

Alternately two notes then one note per string: the shape repeats as you go up, which makes it easy to memorize.

e|-------------------------10-|-10-------------------------|
B|-------------------8--12----|----12-8--------------------|
G|----------------7-----------|----------7-----------------|
D|----------5--9--------------|-------------9--5-----------|
A|-------5--------------------|-------------------5--------|
E|-3--7-----------------------|----------------------7--3--|
   1  3  5  1  3  5  1  3  5  |  5  3  1  5  3  1  5  3  1

The diagrams

The diagrams below show the G major arpeggio across the whole neck (as degrees then as notes), then the two vertical positions and the horizontal path. In orange: the Gs (the root). The line shows the order in which to play the notes. To display and hear them, open them in the interactive fretboard.