Tuning-specific arpeggio diagram

Ab Diminished Arpeggio in 8-String Drop E Tuning

Ab Diminished Arpeggio in 8-String Drop E Tuning shows the same ab diminished arpeggio chord tones across 8 strings tuned E B E A D G B E. The seventh and eighth strings extend the arpeggio into the lower register for wider-range chord tones and riff shapes.

Chord tones
Ab, Cb, Ebb
Formula
1 b3 b5
Semitones
0 3 6
Chord symbols
Abdim
Tuning
E B E A D G B E
Strings
8
Open pitch range
E1 to E4
24-fret range
E1 to E6

Open strings and root positions

3 of the 8 open strings belong to Ab Diminished Arpeggio: string 7 Cb (b3), string 4 Ebb (b5), and string 2 Cb (b3). None of those open-string tones is the Ab root, so the root must be fretted on every string.

String 7Cbb3
String 4Ebbb5
String 2Cbb3

First root on each string

String 8Fret 4
String 7Fret 9
String 6Fret 4
String 5Fret 11
String 4Fret 6
String 3Fret 1
String 2Fret 9
String 1Fret 4

Low-string pattern

On the lowest E string, the first-octave arpeggio pattern falls at frets 4, 7, and 10, with the Ab root at fret 4. On the highest E string, the first Ab is at fret 4.

Fret 4Ab1
Fret 7Cbb3
Fret 10Ebbb5

Practice this tuning-specific layout

  1. Play Ab Diminished Arpeggio on the low E string at frets 4, 7, and 10, saying each note name and degree aloud.
  2. Build a phrase that lets Cb on open string 7 ring, then connect it to the nearest Ab root and two other arpeggio tones.
  3. Connect the Ab root positions on strings 8 through 1 at frets 4, 9, 4, 11, 6, 1, 9, and 4, adding the nearest arpeggio tone between each pair of roots.

Fretboard diagram

Ab Diminished Arpeggio in 8-String Drop E Tuning fretboard diagram
Ab Diminished Arpeggio in 8-String Drop E Tuning guitar fretboard diagram showing E B E A D G B E.

Open this diagram in the fretboard tool

Start with Ab Diminished Arpeggio and 8-string drop e tuningloaded, then adjust labels, colors, fret count, and orientation.

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Reference pages

Same arpeggio in other tunings