So this means that when we play arpeggio we tend to play all the root, 3rd and 5th note in the whole chord grip whether it’s in order or not? am I starting to get it? and when we are just arpeggiating we don’t play all the notes we fretted for the chord, we just pick the notes that we tend to play
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I think your getting the terms mixed up.
An Arpeggio is like a scale. The Major scale contains all the notes in a Key. An Arpeggio contains all the note in a chord. Just like scales when you practice them you play all the note until you know where they are and what they sound like and Just like a scale when you play them you use them to make music and play them in what ever order you like.
The term Arpeggiating just means playing a chord one note at a time instead of strumming the whole chord at once.
Have you watched the video of this topic? Justin explains the difference in the first minute of the lesson video.
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Ohh…I get it now. Thanks @stitch @roger_holland
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Good question and the answer is no.
You could hold a 6-string chord and play it using an arpeggiated technique but not necessarily play all six strings. And not necessarily in ascending or descending order of pitch.
Here is a simple chord progression E → A → E played with strumming then arpeggiating.
So…what about the third triad shape that we learned on the 1-2-3 strings–the D-shaped triad? Does that shape become incorporated into any arpeggio?
Hey mate,
The D shape triad is part of the D Shape arpeggio.
It is also part of the C Shape arpeggio.
Cheers, Shane
I guess I am asking why isn’t the D-shape triad used in this particular exercise? After listening to the lesson again I am thinking it is because that shape is not in R-3-5 order like the other two.
Hello all. I’m finding that ‘Triads’ are my favourite things to play and to learn about. I’ve repeated this module a few times as I enjoy it. Does anyone know if there is a deeper dive on triads at a later point in this theory course. If not I will look to supplement it elsewhere. Because I’m only a little further down the road of module 4 I’ve clearly not learned enough theory to make the most of triads. However I wonder if there is anything on how to tie in pentatonic scales or something by which I can extend the chords with melodic embellishments/fills. Justin has touched upon this before but very briefly. Thanks and good luck with your guitar journeys.
Glen
Clubs to #12 do not have a recording available.
- Vintage Club #6 Triads 1
- Vintage Club #9 Triads 2
- Vintage Club #12 Triads 3 - unleash triads in songs and riffs
Recordings available for the following clubs
- Vintage Club #18 Triads 4 - triads in minor blues
- Vintage Club #22 Triads 5 - blending triads with the major scale
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Thanks very much for this Richard. This is perfect for me. I will work my way through all of them!
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Thank you for a great module. Best explanation of triads ever, awesome exercises, and they really make sense now also in the bigger picture.
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I am heavily into triads at present. What I find useful is to play songs already learned using triads for all the chords. Good way of getting to know them in a playing situation as opposed to simply learning the shapes. The shapes being learned first of course.
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Hi everyone. I can’t figure out this lesson.
Is the c major scale something completely different than the c major arpeggio?
Greetings Freek
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Yes it is. The C major scale contains all the notes in the scale(C D E F G A B C).
C major arppegio only contains the notes in the C major chord (C E G).
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So i see triad chord shapes from string 1 till 6 all related for example to an a major chord arpeggio.
All these little triad grips containing the same information as the a major chord and therfore also the a major arpeggio.
I think it is falling into place. Thanks
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@Freek77 You mentioned A major so I will use that as an example.
Here is the Pattern 1 E-Shape A Major scale (top left) with the corresponding A Major Arpeggio (top right).
Below that are four triad shapes for A major using adjacent strings (these can be called closed triads). Note that the first of these triads needs to lean back and reach to a note not in scale Pattern 1.
Does this help you make the connections?
Richard
Hi! Can you please explain, why do we need to play the C# note on the IV fret, if it is not in the A chord shape? Is it because arpegio means playing the notes in order, and the closest major third happens to be on the fourth fret? Even if it is slightly beyond the chord shape? Thank you.
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Hello @Leomagus and welcome to the Community.
Are you referring to this triad?
If yes, look again at the A major scale E-shape / pattern 1.
You mention an arpeggio, playing the notes in sequence, one at a time. An A major arpeggio can be played using notes from within the scale pattern as follows:
- A - 6th string fret 5
- C# - 5th string fret 4
- E - 5th string fret 7
- A 4th string fret 7
- C# - 3rd string fret 6
- E - 2nd string fret 5
- A - 1st string fret 5
Triads are mapped out in a way that all three notes can be played simultaneously so they sit on three separate strings. They are called ‘closed’ triads when those strings are adjacent.
You can have a triad with big jumps, using non-adjacent strings. For example, a 1, 3, 5 triad spanning from 6th to 2nd string.
- A - 6th string fret 5
- C# - 3rd string fret 6
- E - 2nd string fret 5
You can even have an open triad that does not follow the strict sequential order of 1, 3, 5 or 3, 5, 1 or 5, 1, 3. For example a 3, 1, 5 triad spanning from 5th to 2nd string.
- C# - 5th string fret 4
- E - 2nd string fret 5
- A - 1st string fret 5
But such ‘open’ triads (spread triads) are not being considered here so I will return to the topic and your questions.
Here is the A major scale with the notes of the A major (E-shape barre) chord notated inside six blue boxes.
The chord has six notes (pitches) across six strings. But, the note order is not a doubling of the sequence 1, 3, 5. The chord, in ascending order of pitch, is not 1, 3, 5, 1, 3, 5 = A, C#, E, A, C#, E. Such an arrangement of notes is not possible within this scale pattern. To make the chord shape fit the guitar strings, the chord comprises 1, 5, 1, 3, 5, 1. From the open E chord, all the way along each and every E-shape barre chord, all E-shape chords have this arrangement of intervals (1, 5, 1, 3, 5, 1) within the chord grip.
If you wish to extend your knowledge, and gain a deeper understanding, you could perform a similar analysis of the intervals contained within the open chord shapes for A, C, D and G major chords respectively. Of course, they are not all six string chords, but you could look to see if the intervals within the shapes run in sequence 1, 3, 5 etc. or is they follow a slightly different pattern.
I hope that helps.
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