Chromatic Arpeggios (Part 3)

The Chromatic Barre Chord

Here's a chromatic arpeggio using an A major 6-string barre chord, using the half-step shifts explored in the two previous posts. 

Rather than treating the barre chord as a fixed shape, we can approach it as a fluid form which blends into the tonal matrix around it. 

If we're in the key of A major, our VII Zone is based on the 4th fret and the root of the A major chord is on the 5th fret. Thinking of the chord as a part of a 'Zone' enables you to smoothly transition between melodic and harmonic ideas. 

Play the arpeggio slowly with careful attention to the indicated fingering;

Here's the notation for the arpeggio above;

Notice that the scale pattern and the arpeggio share the same fingering position. You can transition from one to the other at any point along the way without any shift of hand position.


... Go to Part 2 ...