Arpeggio Book Suggestions

[mandoglobal]

Hey All -

I'm working my way through Don Julin's "Mandolin Exercises for Dummies" and learning TONS of stuff every day. In Part 3, Chapter 7, "Exploring Arpeggios", Julin writes "...people have written complete books on nothing but position studies and shifts." My question to the Cafe members is this: What are the best books on this subject in terms of quality instruction on arpeggios, positions, shifting, etc.? One of the great things about Julin's book is how clearly explained everything is, so I'm looking for a comparable text that is fairly well explained for someone like myself who doesn't read music. Tab is OK, but Julin's neck diagrams have been really helpful.

Any suggestions? Thank you all in advance.

[wildpikr]

I like this one...

https://www.homespun.com/shop/produc...-for-mandolin/

[mandocrucian]

Sevcik

"His violin studies and violin methods were published in several books and are still important as major teaching tools. These studies include The Little Ševčík, an elementary violin tutor, which teaches the semitone system in 149 exercises, the School of Violin Technics (Schule der Violintechnik, four parts, 1880), First Position, vol. II, 2nd to 7th Positions, Vol. III, Shifting, and Vol. IV, Preparatory Exercises in Double-Stopping, Opus 9, and the Schule der Bogentechnik (six parts, 1893)." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otakar...v%C4%8D%C3%ADk

[BrianWilliam]

The Tim O'Brien arpeggio workout is a nice place to start. And it's free

[mbruno]

Chris Thile had a great one in his Homespun DVD (along with other goodies). Really the best practice I've found is to run arpeggio's for a song you love or a common progression you'll see a lot. Start with I IV V type tunes then move to more complex things (i.e. VI ii V I). If it's not a song, I'd say do 1 or 2 measures per chord starting with quarter notes, then move to eighth notes, triplets, sixteenth notes etc using a metronome at a decent speed (read: slow).

I have a few home-made runs I use that I like. I can send you a copy

[Beanzy]

I like this one
FretBoards Studies, by Todd Colins
http://www.melbay.com/Products/20570...=M01&src=16297

[mandocrucian]

https://www.amazon.com/Patterns-Jazz.../dp/0898987032


Used this back in the mid/late 70s on mandolin. Practice some of the exercises (from memory) now on flute. The Sevcik stuff came a few years later ('79-82) when I was taking lessons from one of Joe Venuti's violin cronies who worked me on technical skills with various classical violin materials (Sevcik, Rovelli, Kreutzer sec.)

NH

[MandoAblyss]

http://www.mattflinner.com/2017/07/s...-curriculum-2/

Highly recommend Matt Flinner's on-line courses. The first 4-week class took place earlier this summer, but they are independent although the second will have more challenging material. About 75min of live streaming on-line instruction with student questions, then another 60min practice/review session, each week, for four weeks, with downloadable charts, play-along .mp3s, and downloadable video sessions.

[Willie Poole]

I have been playing mandolin for well over 50 years and I have no idea what an Arpeggio is, anyone have a definition in layman`s terms? One poster stated that he has some "Runs" that he himself invented so if that's what they are I have using them for a long time, the same with scales, I know nothing about what they are but I do throw in some fill notes between actual melody so maybe I am also using some scales...As you can tell I am not a musical student and only play by ear...

Great info in some of those videos though...

Willie

[CarlM]

I have no idea what an Arpeggio is, anyone have a definition in layman`s terms?

An arpeggio is a chord broken up into single notes. Not a chord shape like crosspicking, though crosspicking can be a form of arpeggio, but the individual notes played in order like 1-3-5-1-3-5 then back down again.

A lot of melodies are based more on chord notes than scales and it is especially useful playing over 6-2-5-1 and similar chord changes like Salty Dog or I Know What it Means to be Lonesome or Don't Let Your Deal Go Down where the melody does not stay in the scale for the key.

[Willie Poole]

Thanks Carl, I`ll study on that for a while...

Willie

[John Adrihan]

And you need a book to do that?

[Beanzy]

Well there are only 12 notes in a 12TET scale, but there seems to be plenty of scope for complexity there have been quite a few books written too.

I certainly can't remember all the useful exercises and different ways I've played with arpeggio patterns. Things like starting on the next finger up each time, or playing x up & y back so you continually change the scale, rhythm patterns & changes; There are literally thousands of those variations aiming to impove different aspects of your playing if you have the curiosity to explore what's possible. Using the arpeggio pattern helps to keep it accessible & give it a practical structure.