To play arpeggios fingerstyle, assign each finger to a string, thumb on the bass, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and pluck the strings in order, one at a time, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another, and the chord is heard as a flowing line.
How do you play arpeggios fingerstyle?
To play arpeggios fingerstyle, assign each finger to a string, thumb on the bass, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and pluck the strings in order, one at a time, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another, and the chord is heard as a flowing line, not as a block. An arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time, in order, from the lowest to the highest, or from the highest to the lowest, and the fingers play each string once, and each note rings into the next, so the chord is heard as a melody. The fingerstyle arpeggio is different from a pick arpeggio, because the fingers pluck the strings, and the pick plays them, and the sound is softer and warmer with the fingers, and brighter and sharper with the pick. The fingerstyle arpeggio is also different from a strum, because a strum plays all the strings together, and the arpeggio plays them one at a time, and the notes sound in sequence, not at the same time. The C major guitar chord and the G major guitar chord are the chords most players first arpeggiate fingerstyle, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How fingerstyle arpeggios work
A fingerstyle arpeggio works by playing the notes of a chord one at a time, in order, so the chord is heard as a melody, not as a block. The notes are the root, the 3rd, the 5th, and the 7th if the chord has one, and they are played in order, from the lowest string to the highest, or from the highest to the lowest, and each note rings into the next, so the chord is heard as a flowing line. The fingers play each string once, with a single pluck, and the pluck is with the flesh and the nail, pulling the string towards the palm, and the string rings, and the next finger plucks the next string. The arpeggio pattern is the key: the P-I-M-A pattern plays the thumb on the bass, the index on the 3rd, the middle on the 2nd, and the ring on the 1st, in order, from the bass to the treble, and the pattern repeats, giving the arpeggio its flow. The P-A-M-I pattern plays the ring on the 1st, the middle on the 2nd, the index on the 3rd, and the thumb on the bass, in order, from the treble to the bass, and the pattern repeats, giving the arpeggio a different flow, from the top down. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the arpeggios are built on.
Worked example — a C major arpeggio fingerstyle. Hold a C major chord, and play the P-I-M-A pattern, thumb on the 5th string, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and the notes are C, G, B, E, which are the root, the 5th, the major 7th, and the major 3rd of C major, and each note rings into the next, so the chord is heard as a flowing line. Now play the P-A-M-I pattern, ring on the 1st, middle on the 2nd, index on the 3rd, thumb on the 5th, and the notes are E, B, G, C, from the treble to the bass, and the arpeggio flows from the top down. The I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is a good progression to practise the arpeggios with, because it uses C major, G major, A minor and F major, and the arpeggio works on every chord.
How to practise fingerstyle arpeggios
Practise fingerstyle arpeggios slowly, with a metronome, until each note is clean and the notes flow into each other, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Practise the P-I-M-A pattern on a C major chord, thumb, index, middle, ring, in order, and play each note cleanly, one at a time, letting each note ring into the next.
- Practise the P-A-M-I pattern on a G major chord, ring, middle, index, thumb, in order, from the treble to the bass, and listen for the arpeggio to flow from the top down.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with arpeggios, playing each chord as an arpeggio, and listen for the chords to flow into each other.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the arpeggio is clean at the current tempo.
- Practise arpeggios ascending and descending, from the bass to the treble and back, so the fingers move smoothly in both directions.
Common mistakes
- Plucking two strings at once — An arpeggio plays one string at a time, and plucking two strings at once will make the notes sound together, like a strum, not like an arpeggio. Pluck one string at a time, with a single finger, and let each note ring alone.
- Muting the notes too early — An arpeggio needs each note to ring into the next, so the chord is heard as a flowing line, and muting a note too early will break the line. Let each note ring, and pluck the next string, and the notes will overlap and flow.
- Using the wrong finger on a string — Each finger has its own string, and using the wrong finger will make the arpeggio uneven, because the fingers will cross and tangle. Assign the thumb to the bass, the index to the 3rd, the middle to the 2nd, and the ring to the 1st, and keep the assignment.
Quick reference
This table shows the arpeggios for four common chords, with the notes in order from the lowest string to the highest, and the pattern for each one, so you can see the arpeggio as a sequence of notes, not as a block. The notes are the root, the 3rd, the 5th, and the 7th if the chord has one, and they are played one at a time, with the fingers in order.
| Chord | Notes (low to high) | Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C – E – G – C – E | P-I-M-A, thumb to ring |
| G major | G – B – D – G – B | P-I-M-A, thumb to ring |
| A minor | A – C – E – A – C | P-I-M-A, thumb to ring |
| D7 | D – F# – A – C | P-I-M-A, thumb to ring |
Use the table to practise arpeggios: pick a chord, play its notes one at a time, from the lowest string to the highest, with the P-I-M-A pattern, and let each note ring into the next. When you can play the arpeggios in the table cleanly, try them with the P-A-M-I pattern, from the treble to the bass, and the arpeggios will flow in both directions.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play arpeggios fingerstyle?
Assign each finger to a string, thumb on the bass, index on the 3rd, middle on the 2nd, ring on the 1st, and pluck the strings in order, one at a time, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another, and the chord is heard as a flowing line.
What is the difference between a fingerstyle arpeggio and a pick arpeggio?
A fingerstyle arpeggio is plucked with the fingers, and the sound is softer and warmer, while a pick arpeggio is played with a pick, and the sound is brighter and sharper. The notes are the same, but the sound is different, because the material is different.
Should I use P-I-M-A or P-A-M-I for arpeggios?
P-I-M-A plays the arpeggio from the bass to the treble, and P-A-M-I plays it from the treble to the bass, and the choice depends on the direction you want the arpeggio to flow. Most arpeggios are P-I-M-A, from the bass up, and P-A-M-I is used for descending arpeggios.
How do I keep arpeggios clean?
Pluck one string at a time, with a single finger, and let each note ring, and use a metronome, starting slowly, and increasing the tempo only when the arpeggio is clean at the current tempo.
Can I play arpeggios on any chord?
Yes. An arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time, and any chord can be arpeggiated, major, minor, seventh, or any other chord, because the arpeggio is the notes of the chord, in order.