Guitar Arpeggios HACK: The Secret Pivot Technique (Viral!)

Mastering Pivot Arpeggios: A Blues Guitar Approach

Pivot arpeggios are a powerful technique for creating smooth and expressive blues guitar solos. This lesson focuses on applying this technique to dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th, and m7b5 arpeggios, common in blues and jazz styles.

Understanding the Concept

Pivot arpeggios involve connecting arpeggios of different qualities (major, minor, dominant) by sharing a common tone. This shared tone acts as a pivot point, allowing for seamless transitions between chord changes and creating a more fluid and sophisticated sound.

Applying Pivot Arpeggios in Blues

In blues, pivot arpeggios are particularly effective for soloing over dominant 7th chords. By strategically selecting arpeggios that share a common tone with the target chord, you can create interesting melodic lines that resolve naturally. Experiment with connecting dominant 7th arpeggios to major 7th or minor 7th arpeggios to add color and variety to your solos.

Practical Exercises

1. Start by practicing individual arpeggios (dominant 7th, major 7th, minor 7th, m7b5) in different positions on the fretboard.
2. Identify common tones between pairs of arpeggios. For example, the root and 5th are common tones often used as pivot points.
3. Practice smooth transitions between arpeggios using these common tones as pivot points.
4. Apply this technique to a blues progression in a variety of keys. Experiment with different rhythmic variations and phrasing.
5. Listen to blues guitarists who utilize this technique and try to emulate their phrasing and approach.

Expanding Your Skills

Once you've mastered the basics, explore more advanced applications of pivot arpeggios. Try incorporating passing tones, chromatic approaches, and other embellishments to add further expression and complexity to your solos. Consider exploring how these techniques can be applied to other genres beyond blues.