Diminished Triad Arpeggios - All Inversions
Hi, this is Hub Guitar.
Let's talk about the diminished arpeggio.
This arpeggio has a flat 3 and flat 5, so it ends up having a bit of a warped shape when you play it on guitar.
We're going to play all inversions, starting from a root position in G.
So here's the G diminished arpeggio.
Here's the first inversion of the G diminished arpeggio:
For this one, you might play the first root on the fourth string or the fifth string. I wish I could tell you that one is always better, but I think you need to practice both. In real music you won't simply play strict arpeggio forms. Maybe you'll play a small chunk of arpeggio and then go somewhere else.
Maybe you want to play it on the fifth string if you're going to play an arpeggio fragment and then move up the neck, like this. [demonstrate]
Or maybe you want to go the opposite direction, so you'll play that note on the fourth string. [demonstrate]
And here's the second inversion of the G diminished arpeggio.
Just as note: this arpeggio is a bit awkward to play. So it's great to play it in small chunks, like four notes at a time. And that's closer to how you might actually use it in real life.
Great! So learn these patterns, get them under your fingers, and apply them to your playing.
Below are arpeggios for diminished triads, all inversions. Learn them all, and then learn to apply them all to your playing.
G Diminished Arpeggio, Root
G Diminished Arpeggio, 1st Inversion
G Diminished Arpeggio, 2nd Inversion
The second note, “G”, can be optionally moved to the fifth string.
Key Tasks
- Memorize all diminished patterns.
- Practice the patterns with a metronome; the 6-note beat grouping is often used for triad arpeggios.
- You can also apply the arpeggios over any Fo chord.