Superimposing Arpeggios Demystified

In this tutorial, we're going to learn a fun technique that will bring fresh effects to your sound.

To fully enjoy this page, you should already know a bit about chord construction and how to play arpeggios across the neck. If you don't, please first check my chord construction tutorial and guitar arpeggios guide.

I'm also providing a Arpeggio Superimposing Reference Pdf, available for free as usual in the download area.

The concept of arpeggio superimposing is simple: if we play an arpeggio over a chord, the overall sound is a new chord composed of the sum of the tones of the original chord and of the arpeggio.

While this concept itself is easy to understand, the complexity lies in all the possible combinations of chord and arpeggio types; moreover, we could also shift arpeggios up or down the neck, and things will become even more interesting, but also tricker.

But don't worry, as always, I'm here to show you these obscure music theory concepts in the easiest and most applicable way.

So let's begin our superimposing arpeggios tutorial!

Example: Superimposing Arpeggios Over a Major Chord

Let's start with our beloved C major chord, that, as we already should now, is composed of the root (C), the Third (E) and the Fifth (G):

The C major Major Seventh is a C major chord plus a Major Seventh, that is a B. So this chord is C, E, G and B:

Arpeggio over Chord: New Chord

What if we play over our C major chord an arpeggio that contains the same notes of this chord, plus a B?

That arpeggio is the E minor chord, which is composed of E, G and B.

So we have C, E, G from the C major chord, and E, G and B from the E minor arpeggio. If we put them together, we get the set C, E, G and B, exactly the notes in a C major 7th chord!

Here below the process is shown with graphic:

C major Chord (C, E, G)

E Minor Arpeggio (E, G, B)

Overall Sound: C Major Seventh Chord (C, E, G, B)

So, from this example, we can formalize our first arpeggio superimposing rule:

Playing a minor arpeggio shifted up 4 half-steps over a major chord, creates the sound of a major seventh chord.

So, if you encounter a major chord and want to enrich it with a major 7th feeling, you don't have to remember any note names; you should just to know your minor arpeggio shape, place it 4 frets from the root of the major chord, and play!

Superimposing Arpeggios Reference Table

Here below you find one of the most complete and in-depth arpeggio superimposing tables I've seen on the Internet. You can also download it in PDF format on your free download area.

Be careful, some combinations will sound good, others will be more dissonant and difficult to apply; as always in music, take your time to experiment, break things, and don't be afraid to generate new ideas.

Superimposing Arpeggios over a Major Chord

Major chords are composed of the root, the Third and the Fifth.

Superimposing Arpeggios over Minor Chords

Minor chords are composed of the root, the Minor Third and the Perfect Fifth.

Superimposing Arpeggios over Augmented chords

Augmented chord have the Fifth raised by one half-steps.

Superimposing Arpeggios over Diminished chords

Diminished chords are composed of the root, the Minor Third and Diminished Fifth.

Superimposing Arpeggio over Major Seventh chords

Major Seventh Chords are constructed by stacking the root, the Major Third, the Perfect Fifth and the Major Seventh.

Arpeggio Superimposition over Minor Seventh chords

Minor Seventh chords are created stacking a minor 7th over a minor chord.

Superimposing Arpeggios over Dominant Chords

Dominant Chords are obtained by stacking a minor seventh over a major chord.

Superimposing Arpeggios - Conclusions

Ok, now you should have a new weapon in your songwriting and improvisation arsenal.

Take these references with a grain of salt and always let your ear and taste decide what sounds best.

Shifting shapes up and down the neck for obtaining new sound is a useful trick that you can also apply with scales. In my ebook Scales Over Chords, I show you the best scales to play over a given chords, applying the shifting shape concept.

Be sure to download the Arpeggio superimposing table by request your free access to the download area.