Once I got over the initial learning phase of implementing arpeggios into my playing, I began to experiment with other ways of using them in my compositions besides with just sweep picking.

I wanted a new riff so I began thinking about arpeggios and their structure. What I finally ended up with was a pretty cool riff that I wrote an entire song around called "Fullness Of Time".

When I finally got the notes in the order I wanted, I must admit, I had to practice this a lot in order to get it smooth and clean...but it was well worth it.

Although "Fullness" is the seventh track on the CD, it's one of my favorite tunes. I've tabbed out the riff for you so you can start seeing other ways to think about arpeggios besides just sweep picking them.

Also, you'll notice that this riff sounds nothing like a sweeping arpeggio. That was one of the things I wanted. I wanted the sound to be different from sweeping arpeggios so I approached it from a different angle.

I started fooling around with single string arpeggios and ultimately combined single string arps on multiple strings. (Huh?? You'll see what I mean in the tablature)

Lastly, to move away from the usual 1, 3, 5 arpeggio notes, I replaced them with other notes of the scale (E Aeolian) to give the riff a little more flavor as you'll see in the chord names.

This riff has some very large interval jumping musically as well as physically on the fretboard. Also, when I introduced this riff to a bass player he had the same problem I had at first which you may have also; and that is, you may have a tendency to accent the second note of the beat instead of the first. This piece is in 4/4 so the accent is always on the first beat.

If anything, you should practice this riff for timing and accuracy. I guarantee that if you practice this riff enough to be able to play along with me up to speed on the CD, you'll see improvement in other areas of your playing as well.

This is lesson #2 in a series of studies where I refer to compositional skills and techniques that I used on my debut CD. I'd like you to have the CD so you can follow along with what I'm teaching. Just click on the link below for a special "Cyber-Student" price of only $6.49 + S&H (That's 46% off the regular web-surfer's price and I'll even cover any extra overseas shipping costs!)
http://www.willlandrum.com/studentspecial.shtml

Happy Honing!

"Fullness Of Time" Main Riff

 Em          Amaj6       Dmaj7  Dmaj6 Gmaj7  Gmaj6
------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------0--11--9--0-----------
-------------------------0--10--0--9------------------------
-------------0--9--0--7-------------------------------------
-0--7--0--3-------------------------------------------------


 C    B   Em7          D       E
-8----7---7---7---------------------------------------------
-8----7---8---8---------------------------------------------
-9----8---7---7--------7---7---9---9------------------------
-10---9---9---9--------7---7---9---9------------------------
-10---9---7---7--------5---5---7---7------------------------
-8----7-----------------------------------------------------

Repeat

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