Any tips Arpeggios?

T

TDOT

New member
What up FP?

Any one have any tips for creating nice sounding and interesting arpeggios?
I want to create smooth and interesting arpeggios, but they never quite come out the way I want?

Any tips or ideas?

Here's an example of something I'm looking to do:

Big Boi - Lines (Ft. ASAP Rocky & Phantogram) - YouTube

later in the song, after all of the verses, a nice bright and high pitched, what sounds like an arpeggio, comes in.
How do you achieve this?
 
Didn't figure out the notes or anything, but on a cursory listen, those parts sound more like signature phrases (short repeated melody fragments) than actual arpeggios. Either way, arpeggios are really just broken-up chords, so try to have interesting harmony/chord structure for your songs. Then it's just a matter of choosing when and where to arpeggiate. And if you can't physically play it, well, that's what MIDi and sequencers are for...

GJ
 
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Alright cool thanks, I love that part of the track. I've been trying to get something as similar but I dont know the notes, I know how to create arpeggios, by playing the individual notes of the chords in some form of sequence. But I thought maybe there was some tips.
For example one thing Ive been doing is when I'm in in the middle of my beat, I'll copy my chord progression to another track and have it arpeggiate over my chords to see what it sounds like.

Looking for maybe other people's approach
 
Using an arpeggiator helps if you don't know what to try out.

However, think of your chords as containing three (Root-3rd-5th) or four notes (Root-3rd-5th-8ve) ...

Any 3 notes can be combined in 27 unique ways

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

1 1 1
1 1 3
1 1 5
1 3 1
1 3 3
1 3 5
1 5 1
1 5 3
1 5 5

3 1 1
3 1 3
3 1 5
3 3 1
3 3 3
3 3 5
3 5 1
3 5 3
3 5 5

5 1 1
5 1 3
5 1 5
5 3 1
5 3 3
5 3 5
5 5 1
5 5 3
5 5 5

any 4 notes can be combined in 256 unique ways

01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 3
1 1 1 5
1 1 1 8
1 1 3 1
1 1 3 3
1 1 3 5
1 1 3 8
1 1 5 1
1 1 5 3
1 1 5 5
1 1 5 8
1 1 8 1
1 1 8 3
1 1 8 5
1 1 8 8
1 3 1 1
1 3 1 3
1 3 1 5
1 3 1 8
1 3 3 1
1 3 3 3
1 3 3 5
1 3 3 8
1 3 5 1
1 3 5 3
1 3 5 5
1 3 5 8
1 3 8 1
1 3 8 3
1 3 8 5
1 3 8 8
1 5 1 1
1 5 1 3
1 5 1 5
1 5 1 8
1 5 3 1
1 5 3 3
1 5 3 5
1 5 3 8
1 5 5 1
1 5 5 3
1 5 5 5
1 5 5 8
1 5 8 1
1 5 8 3
1 5 8 5
1 5 8 8
1 8 1 1
1 8 1 3
1 8 1 5
1 8 1 8
1 8 3 1
1 8 3 3
1 8 3 5
1 8 3 8
1 8 5 1
1 8 5 3
1 8 5 5
1 8 5 8
1 8 8 1
1 8 8 3
1 8 8 5
1 8 8 8

3 1 1 1
3 1 1 3
3 1 1 5
3 1 1 8
3 1 3 1
3 1 3 3
3 1 3 5
3 1 3 8
3 1 5 1
3 1 5 3
3 1 5 5
3 1 5 8
3 1 8 1
3 1 8 3
3 1 8 5
3 1 8 8
3 3 1 1
3 3 1 3
3 3 1 5
3 3 1 8
3 3 3 1
3 3 3 3
3 3 3 5
3 3 3 8
3 3 5 1
3 3 5 3
3 3 5 5
3 3 5 8
3 3 8 1
3 3 8 3
3 3 8 5
3 3 8 8
3 5 1 1
3 5 1 3
3 5 1 5
3 5 1 8
3 5 3 1
3 5 3 3
3 5 3 5
3 5 3 8
3 5 5 1
3 5 5 3
3 5 5 5
3 5 5 8
3 5 8 1
3 5 8 3
3 5 8 5
3 5 8 8
3 8 1 1
3 8 1 3
3 8 1 5
3 8 1 8
3 8 3 1
3 8 3 3
3 8 3 5
3 8 3 8
3 8 5 1
3 8 5 3
3 8 5 5
3 8 5 8
3 8 8 1
3 8 8 3
3 8 8 5
3 8 8 8

5 1 1 1
5 1 1 3
5 1 1 5
5 1 1 8
5 1 3 1
5 1 3 3
5 1 3 5
5 1 3 8
5 1 5 1
5 1 5 3
5 1 5 5
5 1 5 8
5 1 8 1
5 1 8 3
5 1 8 5
5 1 8 8
5 3 1 1
5 3 1 3
5 3 1 5
5 3 1 8
5 3 3 1
5 3 3 3
5 3 3 5
5 3 3 8
5 3 5 1
5 3 5 3
5 3 5 5
5 3 5 8
5 3 8 1
5 3 8 3
5 3 8 5
5 3 8 8
5 5 1 1
5 5 1 3
5 5 1 5
5 5 1 8
5 5 3 1
5 5 3 3
5 5 3 5
5 5 3 8
5 5 5 1
5 5 5 3
5 5 5 5
5 5 5 8
5 5 8 1
5 5 8 3
5 5 8 5
5 5 8 8
5 8 1 1
5 8 1 3
5 8 1 5
5 8 1 8
5 8 3 1
5 8 3 3
5 8 3 5
5 8 3 8
5 8 5 1
5 8 5 3
5 8 5 5
5 8 5 8
5 8 8 1
5 8 8 3
5 8 8 5
5 8 8 8

8 1 1 1
8 1 1 3
8 1 1 5
8 1 1 8
8 1 3 1
8 1 3 3
8 1 3 5
8 1 3 8
8 1 5 1
8 1 5 3
8 1 5 5
8 1 5 8
8 1 8 1
8 1 8 3
8 1 8 5
8 1 8 8
8 3 1 1
8 3 1 3
8 3 1 5
8 3 1 8
8 3 3 1
8 3 3 3
8 3 3 5
8 3 3 8
8 3 5 1
8 3 5 3
8 3 5 5
8 3 5 8
8 3 8 1
8 3 8 3
8 3 8 5
8 3 8 8
8 5 1 1
8 5 1 3
8 5 1 5
8 5 1 8
8 5 3 1
8 5 3 3
8 5 3 5
8 5 3 8
8 5 5 1
8 5 5 3
8 5 5 5
8 5 5 8
8 5 8 1
8 5 8 3
8 5 8 5
8 5 8 8
8 8 1 1
8 8 1 3
8 8 1 5
8 8 1 8
8 8 3 1
8 8 3 3
8 8 3 5
8 8 3 8
8 8 5 1
8 8 5 3
8 8 5 5
8 8 5 8
8 8 8 1
8 8 8 3
8 8 8 5
8 8 8 8

With the 4 note arpeggios you could substitute 7 for 8 or even 6 for 8. Larger numbers of chord tones or even scales can be treated similarly

The above forms the basis of a rudimentary arpeggiator program...
 
simple number application with the chord tone (1-3-5-8) being modified as we count through the chord :)
 
"Any 3 notes" can be combined in 27 unique ways

so any 3 notes from a particular chord can be combined in 27 ways to form different arpeggios.

sounds good, this makes sense and I tried some examples playing a few variations with a FMaj Chord. So Root, Major Third, Perfect Fifth.
Thanks again bandcoach

Would be cool if there was a vst where you could input these different numbered patterns and get the end result based upon a chord you've selected.
 
TDOT said:
Would be cool if there was a vst where you could input these different numbered patterns and get the end result based upon a chord you've selected.
Click to expand...

If you know your chord formulas for major, minor, dominant, and so on in whatever key, it wouldn't be necessary to have such a program. Really, learning chords isn't that hard. Chords are nothing more than a chunk of notes derived from a key, sometimes with chromatic notes added for additional color.
 
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Pumpthrust said:
If you know your chord formulas for major, minor, dominant, and so on in whatever key, it wouldn't be necessary to have such a program. Really, learning chords isn't that hard. Chords are nothing more than a chunk of notes derived from a key, sometimes with chromatic notes added for additional color.
Click to expand...

I already know all my chords and scales, but playing 16th note arpeggios fast and perfect and in the sequence you're looking for exactly on the spot isn't that easy, so I use my sequencer.
Good looking though
 
I guess this could be a "tip," based on this thread and a nother one about odd time grooves-- When creating your arpeggios, you could experiment with arranging the sequence of notes in such a way that the musical line is an odd number of notes (and odd note grouping), rather than translating it into an even number of 8th or 16th notes over a 4/4 rhythm. What I'm getting at is repeated phrases of 3's, 5's, 6's, and 7's often sound cool because they don't naturally line-up with the underlying 4/4 groove, but will eventually resolve rhythmically (and then go out of sync again, and then come back, etc.). that approach has worked for me on a number of occassions. if you're not great at live-playing that sort of thing, the sequencer is your friend.

GJ
 
Some say bandcoach is possessed by the holy spirit.. some say he's not a man but that he's a jedi master.. all I no is that he's called the bandcoach

---------- Post added at 10:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:24 PM ----------

P.s. anybody no what calvin harisses arpegiation was of close to you right now? At the start I'm sure it was written in c minor I'm just curious if it used the same technique of using a 1 3 5 8 kinda arpegiation?
 
got a link

cause the one I found I'm not hearing arpeggios at all, I am hearing a set of voicing choices, but nothing else that I would call an arpeggio........
 
I think of it more as a riff:

it runs

G[sub]3[/sub]-C[sub]4[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-C[sub]4[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-C[sub]4[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-C[sub]4[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-G[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-E[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-E[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-E[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-E[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-D[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-D[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-D[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]-D[sub]3[/sub]-B[sub]3[/sub]

but it could be taken as a partial arpeggio of each chord

caveats
fl studio users should use an octave number that is 2 higher than the ones indicated,as fl does not use the standard method for note numbering:
middle C = C[sub]3[/sub] in every daw except fl and BiaB, where middle C = C[sub]5[/sub]
 
bandcoach said:
I think of it more as a riff:

it runs

G[SUB]3[/SUB]-C[SUB]4[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-C[SUB]4[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-C[SUB]4[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-C[SUB]4[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-G[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-E[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-E[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-E[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-E[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-D[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-D[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-D[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]-D[SUB]3[/SUB]-B[SUB]3[/SUB]

but it could be taken as a partial arpeggio of each chord

caveats
fl studio users should use an octave number that is 2 higher than the ones indicated,as fl does not use the standard method for note numbering:
middle C = C[SUB]3[/SUB] in every daw except fl and BiaB, where middle C = C[SUB]5[/SUB]
Click to expand...

I just did that on my daw piano how do you find this stuff out man ha, this is valuable information for me thoe
 
Called ear training - made to do it way back when I did my degree in composition in the 80's and still practice every day

go to teoria and use their drills to practice the skillz
 
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