Rockschool, the leading providers of accredited music examinations for pop and rock musicians, have released a free video tutorial on arpeggiated guitar chords which you can view below:
Candidates are expected to arpeggiate chords as part of their Technical Exercises from Grade 3 upwards. To help students master the technique, Rockschool have recorded and released some tips on how to practice and prepare, including a video lesson, backing track and free .pdf print out.
Watch the following video and then read Rockschool’s handy hints below:
[youtube id=”YygN2umj_H8″ width=”600″ height=”350″]
As students progress through the grades, the expectations on their playing rise.
From Debut to Grade 2, playing open chords in the Technical Exercises section of exams simply consists of strumming a series of chords once each when prompted by the examiner.
Later at Grades 3–8, students are required to play each chord twice: first strummed then arpeggiated. This means that candidates should pick each note individually, trying to play evenly and avoiding leaving large or uneven gaps between too many of the notes. Notation for these chords lack specific rhythms and so students must interpret how to play using their developing sense of musical awareness.
“This technique of mixing strumming and arpeggios will help students to play songs that they like and create their own guitar parts”
For more hints, tips and tutorials, visit the Rockschool website where you can also download backing tracks and a special .pdf lesson to complement the above video.