Diminished arpeggios in a solo? How?
Hi Visitor,
What is the point of diminished chords? I mean, they sound terrible, so what is the purpose? (*)
And especially, how do I use a diminished arpeggio in a solo?
Think of diminished chords/arpeggios as raw onions. By themselves, they’re pretty unappetizing.
I mean, no one is going around eating onions like apples. Hopefully. Right? (**)
But when used in the right context or when surrounded by the right ingredients, they are incredible.
Diminished chords/arpeggios follow the same principle. A diminished arpeggio, by itself, isn’t good for much. But at the right moment, it creates a very beautiful sound...
...so when should you be using diminished arpeggio? What is the right moment?
The short explanation is to use diminished arpeggio to take you from one chord to another.
Diminished arpeggios create a lot of tension, and that tension makes for a very satisfying release if it takes you to the right place. So you put diminished arpeggio just before the arrival of a new chord, and make that arpeggio resolve to that chord!
But how does that "resolution" business work? How can you know what diminished arpeggio to use at what time?
For that, you’ll need a slightly more in-depth explanation. If you want to fully understand how to use diminished arpeggio once and for all, watch the video linked below, and I’ll show you how.
Watch the video here: https://musictheoryforguitar.com/lead-guitar-diminished-arpeggios.html
(*) They may sound terrible by themselves, but when used in the right way, they sound *fantastic*. I actually like them even by themselves, but that's an acquired taste.
(**) I'm sure at least one of my subscribers is going to reply that they do. You do you, man!
Enjoy!
Tommaso Zillio
Music Theory Education Expert
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