To play arpeggios with a pick, pick each string individually, one at a time, instead of strumming them together, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another. Use alternate picking, down and up, or sweep picking, one smooth motion across the strings, and let each note ring into the next.
How do you play arpeggios with a pick?
To play arpeggios with a pick, pick each string individually, one at a time, instead of strumming them together, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another, and the chord is heard as a melody, 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 pick plays each string once, with a single stroke, and each note rings into the next, so the chord is heard as a flowing line. The arpeggio is played with alternate picking or with sweep picking, and the choice depends on the speed and the sound. Alternate picking is down and up, down and up, with the pick changing direction on each string, and it is the most common way to pick arpeggios, because it is even and controlled. Sweep picking is one smooth motion across the strings, down for the ascending arpeggio and up for the descending arpeggio, with the pick gliding over the strings, and it is faster, but harder to control, because the pick must not stop between the strings. The C major guitar chord and the G major guitar chord are the chords most players first arpeggiate, and the metronome keeps the beat steady.
How pick arpeggios work
A pick 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 pick plays each string once, with a single stroke, and the stroke is down for the ascending arpeggio and up for the descending arpeggio, or alternating down and up, depending on the technique. The arpeggio is different from a strum, because a strum plays all the strings together, and the notes sound at the same time, while an arpeggio plays them one at a time, and the notes sound in sequence. The arpeggio is also different from fingerpicking, because fingerpicking uses the fingers, and the pick arpeggio uses the pick, and the sound is brighter and sharper, because the pick is harder than the flesh. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the arpeggios are built on, and the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major is a good progression to practise them with.
Worked example — a C major arpeggio with a pick. Hold a C major chord, and pick the strings one at a time, from the 5th string to the 1st string, with alternate picking, down, up, down, up, down, and the notes are C, E, G, C, E, which are the root, the major 3rd, the 5th, the root, and the major 3rd of C major, and each note rings into the next, so the chord is heard as a flowing line. Now try the same arpeggio with sweep picking, one smooth motion down across the strings, and the notes are the same, but the sound is faster and more fluid, because the pick does not stop between the strings. The C major guitar chord is the chord the arpeggio is built on, and the key of C major lists the chords it belongs with.
How to practise pick arpeggios
Practise pick 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 a C major arpeggio with alternate picking, down, up, down, up, down, on the 5th to the 1st strings, and listen for each note to ring cleanly.
- Practise the same arpeggio with sweep picking, one smooth motion down across the strings, and listen for the notes to flow into each other.
- 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 lowest string to the highest and back, so the pick moves smoothly in both directions.
Common mistakes
- Picking two strings at once — An arpeggio plays one string at a time, and picking two strings at once will make the notes sound together, like a strum, not like an arpeggio. Pick one string at a time, with a single stroke, and let each note ring alone.
- Stopping the pick between the strings — Sweep picking needs one smooth motion across the strings, and stopping the pick between the strings will make the arpeggio sound choppy, not fluid. Let the pick glide over the strings, in one motion, and the notes will flow.
- 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 pick the next string, and the notes will overlap and flow.
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 picking 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.
| Chord | Notes (low to high) | Picking |
|---|---|---|
| C major | C – E – G – C – E | Alternate: down, up, down, up, down |
| G major | G – B – D – G – B | Alternate: down, up, down, up, down |
| A minor | A – C – E – A – C | Alternate: down, up, down, up, down |
| D7 | D – F# – A – C | Sweep: down across the strings |
Use the table to practise arpeggios: pick a chord, play its notes one at a time, from the lowest string to the highest, with alternate picking, and let each note ring into the next. When you can play the arpeggios in the table cleanly, try them descending, from the highest string to the lowest, and then try sweep picking, in one smooth motion.
Frequently asked questions
How do I play arpeggios with a pick?
Pick each string individually, one at a time, instead of strumming them together, so the notes of the chord ring out one after another. Use alternate picking, down and up, or sweep picking, one smooth motion across the strings, and let each note ring into the next.
What is the difference between alternate picking and sweep picking?
Alternate picking changes direction on each string, down and up, down and up, and it is even and controlled, while sweep picking is one smooth motion across the strings, down for the ascending arpeggio and up for the descending arpeggio, and it is faster but harder to control.
Should I use alternate picking or sweep picking for arpeggios?
Start with alternate picking, because it is even and controlled, and it works for any arpeggio, and then learn sweep picking when the alternate picking is clean, because sweep picking is faster but harder to control.
How do I keep arpeggios clean?
Pick one string at a time, with a single stroke, 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.