Use Unique Arpeggios on Standard Progressions

Play music long enough, and you'll come across some chord progressions that occur in dozens, even hundreds of "different" songs.

Instead of playing the same basic open chords, you can utilize unusual sounding arpeggios over the chords to add something unique to make the song sound different from other songs using the same progression.

Joel Hoekstra demonstrates some pretty cool examples in a lesson with Guitar World.

A couple of things I'd like to address first (and yes, I am being VERY anal in what I'm about to say)

1) At 1:45, Joel names a chord C Maj9 add #11. I would argue that name is incorrect for that chord. Here's why:

• The notes played in the chord, in the order they are played, are C, F#, G, D, E
• The intervals being played, in the order they appear, are 1, #11, 5, 9, 3
• If you place the intervals played, in numerical order, you have 1, 3, 5, 9, #11
• Notice something missing? The 7th interval is missing!
• Even if the 7th interval was present, saying "add #11" is not needed. Two ways of saying the chord are C Maj#11 or C Maj9 #11. Saying C Maj#11 implies that you already have the other intervals needed in order to get to an extended chord, such as an 11th chord.
  • A full 11th chord has the following intervals - 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11
  • The 9th interval is optional. You could have the intervals 1, 3, 5, 7, 11 and that is still considered an 11th chord.
  • A Maj#11 has the intervals 1, 3, 5, 7, 9(optional), #11.
  • Saying Maj9 add#11 produces the intervals 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, #11.
  • Technically, saying Maj9 add#11 will still tell you what intervals are being played, but I feel that's a rather silly way of presenting the chord in question. Then again, perhaps I am being the silly one by being so technical and anal.
• ​Back to what I sated before - the 7th interval is not present in the chord being played.
• With the intervals being played (1, 3, 5, 9, #11) you could call the chord a C add9 add#11. This name tells you to start with a C Major triad (notes C, E, G) and then add a 9th interval (a D note) and a #11 interval (an F# note).
• The tablature on Guitar World's site lists the chord as Cmaj9#11. Even though Guitar World removed the "add" portion of the chord name Joel said, the 7th interval is still not present, therefore, the chord is named incorrectly.
  • The tab for figure 3 is also tabbed incorrectly. Instead of a G being played as the root note, a C is notated. This goes against the chord name AND the performance. Too bad a professional publication doesn't get proof read :P

2) At 2:05, Joel says move the bass note UP A STRING from A to E... now, again, I know I'm being anal. But, DAMMIT!!! That is moving DOWN A STRING!!! E is LOWER in pitch than A, therefore, going from the A string to the E string is going DOWN.

There are other issues I take with some of the chord names listed in the tablature on Guitar World's site. If I get a comment asking what those issues are, I'll do a blog talking about it!

Regardless of my little knit picks, there's still some pretty cool stuff in Joel's lesson. Check it out!

CLICK HERE for the tablature of this lesson. (beware of the incorrectly tabbed bass note in figure 3 measure 3 and incorrect chord names!)