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Blues Guitar Playing Dominant7 Arpeggios

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For Blues Improvisation

Using arpeggios for improvising on guitar makes it really easy to find the best notes to play while a particular chord is being sounded. Arpeggios can make your solos sound really hip and sophisticated!

Arpeggios are nothing more than the notes that make up a chord played separately.

Typically, blues is played with dominant 7 chords...so, dominant 7 arpeggios are great for blues improvisation.

2 Octave Dom7 arpeggio Root on 6th string

The first arpeggio I want to talk about has it's root on the 6th string of the guitar. For practice purposes you should play the note on the 6th string first and work your way up the arpeggio to the note on the 1st string, then work your way back down to the root note on the 6th string.

2 Octave Dom7 Arpeggio Root on 5th String

The next one I'll show you is a shape that has it's root on the 5th string of the guitar. Again, start with the note on the 5th string and work your way all the way up to the last note on the 1st string then back down to the root note on the 5th string.

If you'd like a video demonstration of how to play these arpeggios check out my simpleguitarchannel at youtube.

Using Arpeggios to Solo

Ok, so you've learned the two shapes I just showed you. Now what? What you want to do is start noodling around and playing the notes in no particular order to create little licks or melodies.

When you are using arpeggios to build your solos or improvisational lines, you want to follow each chord change and play the appropriate arpeggio. This is why when you use arpeggios your playing sounds so hip! This type of approach can really jazz up your blues playing. Don't take my word for it though, try it yourself.

Leaning Arpeggios at Amazon

Sure, I gave the basics...but why not get some good reference materials and take it to the next level?
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Reader Feedback & Comments

  • deepakeapen Nov 4, 2010 @ 7:25 am | delete
    Arpeggios are a great way to add dynamics to your guitar playing. Very nicely created lens. I loved it.
  • ajp71555 Jan 28, 2009 @ 2:46 pm | delete
    Yeah, you sound so hip as a player when using arpeggios to improvise solos. Since I started using them my playing sounds way more mature. Thanks for your kind words on my lens![in reply to Music-Resource]
  • Music-Resource Jan 23, 2009 @ 11:30 am | delete
    Hi ajp71555, I'm a huge fan of arpeggios. Good to see a lens on the topic. ~Music Resource~

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ajp71555

I'm 37 years old, and I get what I want out of life. You can do it too, it's that simple. Just make the decision to live the life you want, and enjoy!... more »

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