Arpeggio patterns in 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8

An arpeggio plays a chord's notes one at a time instead of together. A few repeating patterns, each with a different feel, cover most fingerstyle accompaniment. Here you learn one for 4/4, one for 3/4 and one for 6/8.

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Play the 4/4 p-i-m-a pattern over a chord.
• Play the 3/4 waltz pinch and the 6/8 rolling arpeggio.
• Keep a pattern going while the chord changes.

An arpeggio plays the notes of a chord one at a time. A fingerstyle pattern is a repeating arpeggio, with the thumb on a bass note of the chord (usually the root) and the fingers on the strings above.

The time signature changes the feel:

• 4/4: four beats per bar. The pattern p i m a, repeated, gives eight notes per bar.
• 3/4: three beats per bar, the feel of a waltz. A strong first beat, then two lighter beats.
• 6/8: six eighth notes per bar, felt in two groups of three. The rolling pattern p i m a m i fits perfectly.

The pattern is constant; the chord changes. The fingers always play the same strings (3rd, 2nd, 1st), and the thumb moves to the root of the new chord: 5th string for Am and C, 4th string for D, 6th string for G.

Count aloud: "1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &" in 4/4, "1 2 3" in 3/4, "1 2 3 4 5 6" in 6/8.

6/8 on Am, then C.

1. Form Am. Thumb on the 5th string (open A), then i on the 3rd string (fret 2), m on the 2nd (fret 1), a on the 1st (open), then m, then i back down.
2. Count 1 2 3 4 5 6 aloud, with the stress on 1 and 4.
3. After one bar, change to C. The thumb moves to the 5th string, fret 3. The fingers play the same strings: 3rd (open), 2nd (fret 1), 1st (open).
4. Keep the pattern going without stopping the right hand. Let the left hand catch up.

Then play D (thumb on the 4th string, open) and F (small barre, thumb on the 4th string fret 3). The pattern does not change.

Do these in order. Each one is small. Tick the ones you have practised.

• 1.4/4 pattern on one chord

  4 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. Form C. The bass note is the 5th string, fret 3.
  2. Play p i m a, p i m a: thumb on 5th, then 3rd, 2nd and 1st strings.
  3. Count '1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &' aloud, one note per count.
  4. Play it for two minutes.

  You have it when

  • The pattern is even for two minutes, with the bass note slightly louder.
  I practised this one

• 2.3/4 and 6/8

  5 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. 3/4: play bass, then i and m together twice: 'one, two-and, three-and'. Count 1 2 3.
  2. 6/8: on Am, play p i m a m i, one note per click, count 1 2 3 4 5 6.
  3. Play each pattern for a minute.

  You have it when

  • You can play both patterns without stopping and hear the difference in feel.
  I practised this one

• 3.Change chords without stopping

  5 min · 60 → 80 BPM

  1. Play the 6/8 pattern for one bar on Am, then one bar on C.
  2. The pattern never changes. Only the bass note and the fretting hand change.
  3. Loop it for two minutes, then add D and F (small barre) if you can.

  You have it when

  • You can alternate Am and C for two minutes without stopping.
  I practised this one

Start at 60 BPM and count aloud. In 6/8, count 1 2 3 4 5 6 with one note per click at 70 BPM, then raise the tempo slowly.

• Letting the pattern speed up on the strings you like. Use a metronome. Count aloud. Uneven patterns sound like tripping.
• Changing the pattern when you change the chord. The pattern is a constant. Only the bass note and left-hand shape change.
• Forgetting the bass note moves with the chord. Thumb on the root: the 5th string for Am and C, the 4th string for D, the 6th string for G.

House of the Rising Sun (6/8) is the classic arpeggio song, and Hallelujah works in the same feel. Play both patterns over their chords.

Try it in: House of the Rising Sun, Hallelujah.

Short version (10 minutes)

Play the 6/8 pattern on Am and C for four minutes.

Standard version (about 30 minutes)

Do all three exercises, then play the verse of House of the Rising Sun's chords with the pattern.

• An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time.
• 4/4 p i m a, 3/4 pinch, 6/8 p i m a m i.
• The pattern stays; the chord and bass note change.
• Count aloud.

You are ready to move on when you can honestly say:

• I can play a 4/4 pattern, a 3/4 pattern and a 6/8 pattern.
• I can explain the difference in feel between 3/4 and 4/4.
• I can keep a pattern going across a chord change.