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Old 06-08-2013, 08:44 PM
Muffinhead Muffinhead is offline
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Default I just can't get this arpeggio

I am having such a hard time playing an arpeggio like what one would play if you were playing Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley. I don't know what you call that type of arpeggio, but I just can't get it to save my life. Granted, I am a noob at fingerstyle, but when I watch myself play one of the Travis style patterns I have learned, that seems more complex than the arpeggio I am trying to learn.

Any ideas on why that is stumping me so bad? It just seems like it should be so easy.
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Old 06-08-2013, 09:01 PM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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I have not listened to this particular piece, but in general first make sure you are in the right tuning. Also make sure to are listening to what one guitar is playing, not a combination of two. Then just pick off one note at a time. Pretty soon the general pattern becomes apparent.
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Old 06-08-2013, 10:15 PM
clintj clintj is offline
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If I'm recalling that song correctly, that pattern is 4-3-2-1-2-3 etc (if it were a D chord), ascending and descending arpeggio. That one trips me up too. I've seen some people play it ascending with thumb, descending with finger. I prefer to hit the two bass notes with my thumb, and the top two with my index and middle fingers. P-p-i-m-i-p, if that helps.
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Old 06-08-2013, 10:21 PM
Muffinhead Muffinhead is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clintj View Post
If I'm recalling that song correctly, that pattern is 4-3-2-1-2-3 etc (if it were a D chord), ascending and descending arpeggio. That one trips me up too. I've seen some people play it ascending with thumb, descending with finger. I prefer to hit the two bass notes with my thumb, and the top two with my index and middle fingers. P-p-i-m-i-p, if that helps.
Yeah, that's it exactly. I will try your tip and see how that works for me. Thanks.
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Old 06-08-2013, 11:57 PM
JerrysGuitarBar JerrysGuitarBar is offline
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Better is to use p-i-m-a-m-i.

Also, fwiw, Jeff Buckley is playing a G chord capo'd at the 5th fret, not a D. He plays 6-5-3-(2&1 together)-3-6 with the last 6 being 6th string 2nd fret to lead it to Em which he plays as 022033 and picks the same right hand pattern. Play that p-p-i-m-i-p
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