July 5, 2006
Arpeggios: Skeletal Chords

The last two weeks, we learned about chords. But are they really useful? In Africa, kalimba players almost never play chords all at once. In Western music, chords play a major and explicit role in defining the structure of the music. In Africa, rhythm and melody are much more important than chords. However, you will find chords hiding in the melody lines of African music. Look at the tablature below for the Treble and Alto kalimbas. First, a G chord is made. Then, a G-based arpeggio is played. An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time. However, if you JUST play the notes in the chord, it is not that interesting. So, in the G arpeggio shown here, we have added a note that isn't in the chord, twice! The second chord shown is a C chord. A single note which is not in the chord has been added to the arpeggio.

After you master this exercise, you can explore arpeggios based on the chords from last Wednesday's tip. Play the notes in the chord one at a time. Perhaps go up the chord and then down, and always be on the lookout for a note or two outside the chord that make things sound more interesting.