Moving The C Major Arpeggio Form

Posted on November 6, 2014 by

Moving The C major Arpeggio Form

After you have gotten comfortable with your C major form arpeggio, the next step is to understand how to move it to different keys.

Here is your C form arpeggio again with the common C chord shape in red and green highlights:

The key to moving the C form to different keys is simple to put the root notes ( circled #’s) on the key that you want. Their are two root notes in this form, either will work.

Lets try putting the C form arpeggio in the Key of G:

Pick a root note in the C form arpeggio. Lets use the one on the Low A string played with the 4th finger.
Now locate the G on the Low A string of your guitar or fretboard diagram below. You should have found it at the 10th fret on the Low A string.
Now place your pinky on that note and proceed to playing your C form arpeggio. You have now successfully moved this arpeggio form to the key of G.

Here is a map of the fret board for reference:

Lets try one more in the Key of D:

Lets use the other root note this time. Its on the B string and is played with the 2nd finger.
Locate D on the B string. Its on the 3rd fret of the B string. You may have also found it at the 15th fret of the B string as well. Either will work but lets keep it down low.
Put your 2nd finger on the D note that you found and play your C form shape as you always have. You have now succeeded at putting this form in the key of D

Important things to remember:

C form is a shape not a key. Don’t confuse this shape as being in the key of C. It is called C form because it comes from the common C chord shape. It can be moved to be in any of the 12 keys available to us in Western music.
Know where your root notes are. This is essential in being able to move it to other keys.
The notes come from the C form Major Pentatonic Scale. This arpeggio and that scale go hand in hand.

Previous Lesson: C Major Arpeggio Form

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