String Theory: Using Upper-Structure Voice Leading to Create a Climactic, Jazzy Finale to Last Month's Arpeggio Etude

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The following content is related to the May 2013 issue of Guitar World. For the full range of interviews, features, tabs and more, pick up the new issue on newsstands now, or in our online store.

This month I’d like to offer a final, climactic eight-bar variation on the “Raking Leaves” arpeggio etude I presented last month.

The techniques used are the same—sweep picking and fret-hand muting—and you’ll be happy to discover that the fretboard shapes are a little more compact and finger friendly than last month’s, due to the higher positions employed. In terms of theory and harmony, the arpeggios used herein feature some sophisticatedly cool, jazz-style voice-leading.

PART ONE

PART TWO

Jimmy Brown
Jimmy Brown

Over the past 30 years, Jimmy Brown has built a reputation as one of the world's finest music educators, through his work as a transcriber and Senior Music Editor for Guitar World magazine and Lessons Editor for its sister publication, Guitar Player. In addition to these roles, Jimmy is also a busy working musician, performing regularly in the greater New York City area. Jimmy earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Studies and Performance and Music Management from William Paterson University in 1989. He is also an experienced private guitar teacher and an accomplished writer.