Double Arpeggios

Hello to all of you again. In this column I would like to show my idea of stereo Double Arpeggios. I've used this kind of recording and technique on my CD
"Suspension"
and I'm happy how it sounds. The result are double
arpeggios that run in a stereo format.
You can more appreciate them better with headphones, so you can listen to
what the right and the left channel are playing.

I began to write double parts for guitar in order to play them in the same time --
one only for the right channel and the other for the left channel.
I've applied this idea to arpeggios; it is based on the position of arpeggios.
As I've written in my previous columns about arpeggio combinations, now there is
the possibility of playing those figures together in another way.

For example on the right play one position of A minor and the left play
another position of A minor.

1- A minor (one postion on right, one position on left)

                                           - right channel|
|12--8----------------------------8--12-8------------8-12-|
|------10----------------------10----------10----10-------|
|----------9-----------------9-----------------9----------|
|------------10----------10-------------------------------|
|---------------12--7-12----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                         |
|                                           - left channel|
|17-12----------------------------12-17-12----------12-17-|
|------13----------------------13----------13----13-------|
|---------14----------------14----------------14----------|
|------------14----------14-------------------------------|
|---------------15-12-15----------------------------------|
|---------------------------------------------------------|

This second example is a combination of two figures of the same arpeggio.

2- A minor (two positions on right, two positions on left)

                               - right channel|
|12--8------------------|-------12--17""""----|
|------10---------------|----13---------------|
|----------9-----------9/14-------------------|
|------------10----10---|---------------------|
|---------------12------|---------------------|
|-----------------------|---------------------|
|                                             |
|                               - left channel|
|17-12------------------|-------17--20""""----|
|------13---------------|----17---------------|
|---------14----------14/17-------------------|
|------------14----14---|---------------------|
|---------------15------|---------------------|
|-----------------------|---------------------|

You can also combine positions of different chords, not necessarily the
same chord. This one in fact shows the combination of three arpeggios of different chords
doubled by different positions of the same chords.

3- (B minor, F# minor and G major)

                                - right channel|
|-------------|---------9--14-|-15--10---------|
|-------------|-----10--------|---------12-----|
|-----------7-|-11------------|-------------12-|
|--------9----|---------------|----------------|
|-----9-------|---------------|----------------|
|-10----------|---------------|----------------|
|                                              |
|                                - left channel|
|-------------|--------14--17-|-19--15---------|
|-------------|----14---------|---------15-----|
|-------11-16-|14-------------|-------------16-|
|----12-------|---------------|----------------|
|-14----------|---------------|----------------|
|-------------|---------------|----------------|

Other great examples using this idea can be heard in Cacophony's albums,
where Marty Friedman and Jason Becker use this idea, but on one channel
intense bending, and on the other channel intricate arpeggio sequences. Also
on the first CD by Vitalij Kuprij, he plays something doubled by Greg Howe on the
other channel.

This last example is taken from my song "Suspension" and shows this
idea with more chords and also how to finish the sequence with the left and
the right that play the same sequence and then start again.

Suspension (1:38)

                                                - D minor - right channel|
|22-17----------------------------17-22-17----------------------------17-|
|------18----------------------18----------18----------------------18----|
|---------19----------------19----------------19----------------19-------|
|------------19----------19----------------------19----------19----------|
|---------------20-17-20----------------------------20-17-20-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                        |
|                                                - D minor - left channel|
|17-13----------------------------13-17-13----------------------------13-|
|------15----------------------15----------15----------------------15----|
|---------14----------------14----------------14----------------14-------|
|------------15----------15----------------------15----------15----------|
|---------------17-12-17----------------------------17-12-17-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|


                                               - A# major - right channel|
|22-18----------------------------18-22-18----------------------------18-|
|------18----------------------18----------18----------------------18----|
|---------19----------------19----------------19----------------19-------|
|------------20----------20----------------------20----------20----------|
|---------------20-17-20----------------------------20-17-20-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                        |
|                                               - A# major - left channel|
|18-13----------------------------18-13-18----------------------------13-|
|------15----------------------15----------15----------------------15----|
|---------15----------------15----------------15----------------15-------|
|------------15----------15----------------------15----------15----------|
|---------------17-13-17----------------------------17-13-17-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|


                                                - C major - right channel|
|20-15----------------------------15-20-15----------------------------15-|
|------17----------------------17----------17----------------------17----|
|---------17----------------17----------------17----------------17-------|
|------------17----------17----------------------17----------17----------|
|---------------19-15-19----------------------------19-15-19-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                        |
|                                                - C major - left channel|
|15-12----------------------------12-15-12----------------------------12-|
|------13----------------------13----------13----------------------13----|
|---------12----------------12----------------12----------------12-------|
|------------14----------14----------------------14----------14----------|
|---------------15-10-15----------------------------15-10-15-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|


                              - A minor - left and right channel together|
|17-12----------------------------12-17-12----------------------------12-|
|------13----------------------13----------13----------------------13----|
|---------14----------------14----------------14----------------14-------|
|------------14----------14----------------------14----------14----------|
|---------------15-12-15----------------------------15-12-15-------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

|17-12----------12-12-8---------8-8-5------------------------------------|
|------13----13---------10---10-------5----------------------------------|
|---------14---------------9------------5---------------5/9--------------|
|-----------------------------------------7-----------7-----10---------10|
|-------------------------------------------7-------7----------12-7-12---|
|---------------------------------------------8-5-8----------------------|

|-----8-12/17-12----------------------------12/--repeat all the sequence-|
|--10------------13----------------------13------------------------------|
|9------------------14----------------14---------------------------------|
|----------------------14----------14------------------------------------|
|-------------------------15-12-15---------------------------------------|
|------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This idea uses arpeggios but it can be extended with all your techniques, and
also with additional variations. Here, the sequence is doubled in another position,
but you can play a totally different thing on the other, such as tapping, string
skipping, scales, bending, etc. As you know, the possibilities on the guitar are endless.

Francesco Fareri is an Italian guitarist who was profiled on the December, 1999 Undiscovered Artists page on the Guitar Nine site.

His latest instrumental CD is entitled "Secrets Within".

Francesco Fareri