The different between chords and arpeggios is how the way that they are played.

You strum chords...but when playing arpeggios, you play the individual notes one after the other.

Now try this, but follow the steps in sequence:

1. Form any chord and instead of strumming it, play the individual strings one after the other.

2. First only play the strings top-to-bottom...keep repeating the pattern

3. Next only play the strings bottom-to-top...keep repeating the pattern

4. Next play top-bottom and then return back to the top...repeat

5. Next, instead of playing the strings in sequence, you can skip strings and come up with your own patterns.

Ok, but we don't have to be restricted to only playing arpeggios while forming chords!

Instead of playing chord arpeggios, simply...

1. determine the notes that make up any particular chord

2. play those notes at other places where they are on the fretboard

For example, an A minor chord is made up of A, C and E...

If you incorporate these notes into a pattern anywhere on the fretboard, then you are playing and A minor arpeggio!

The example shows you a simple A minor arpeggio...

|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|-------------------|
|--------------7----|
|----5----8---------|

That's it!

Let's do another example - let's say you want to play an A Major arpeggio...

An A Major chord is made up of A, C# and E...

So just figure out where these 3 notes fall on the fretboard and come up with as many patterns as you want.

You can do this for any chord in the world.

If you don't know the names of the notes on the fretboard, then click here.

For more on how chords are made...click here.