Ear Training is an important skill to add to your arsenal. Arpeggios are broken chords. Let’s start by listening to and playing back the notes of some broken chords. Then write out the notes on the staff and on the TAB lines. Try to figure out the chord name and diagram which is being arpeggiated. As you get better, you’ll be able to pick out chords and harmonies from more complex arrangements.
Start with a freshly tuned guitar. For a variety of reasons outlined on the [tuning standards page], you may have to tune your guitar to the actual recording.
For each exercise below,
1. listen to the mp3, then
2. try to play it, and / or play along with it.
When you have it figured out,
3. write out the notes on some staff paper.
4. Play back what you’ve written
5. Check your answers
blank chord staff tab paper.pdf
Tip: There are programs and practice aids that will slow down songs while preserving the pitch to help you figure out difficult passages, but you don’t need any tools. Just listen to the section over and over until you can sing it over and over. Then, you can simply sing it at any speed you want and you don’t have to keep pressing buttons.
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 1.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 1.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 1.png
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 2.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 2.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 2.png
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 3.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 3.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 3.png
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 4.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 4.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 4.png
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 5.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 5.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 5.png
Listen:
( download link: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 6.mp3 )
Hint: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Hint 6.png
Answer: Ear Training – Arpeggios and Ornaments Exercise 6.png
For more practice, start transcribing acoustic fingerstyle guitar songs on youtube. A few even have links to tab so you can check your answers.
The more you transcribe, the easier it will be to write down the ideas that come into your head.
Join the discussion and share your tips.