Piano for Beginners 6th ED - 2016 UK

Playing the piano

W

e’ve already learnt about the main

chords and progressions you can

use to enhance your music, but it’s

also possible to break chords up to

create arpeggios. Rather than playing three notes at

the same time, you can play them in sequence, one

after the other, often ascending and descending.

You’ll find that arpeggios are useful tools that enable

you to keep your music flowing, no matter which

hand is playing them.

So, for example, if you were to play a C major

chord, the normal route would be to play C (the

root), E (the third note in the C major scale) and

G (the fifth note in the scale) at the same time.

However, if you wanted to play a C major arpeggio

you would play the C, then the E, then the G, then

the C above G (ie the C an octave above your

starting note), then back down to G, E, and finally

the original C.

An arpeggio isn’t just limited to this structure,

however, nor is it limited to just major chords. You

could play a C minor arpeggio by just playing C,

Eb, and G one after another without descending.

To hear how a three-note minor arpeggio like

this sounds in music, listen to the opening of

Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Now imagine how

different it would sound if you were to replace its

arpeggios with chords.

Learn arpeggios

Break up chords to make your music flow better, with the

help of this valuable technique

Playing an arpeggio Finger positions and more

Positions

When playing a major or minor arpeggio,

use fingers 1 , 2 and 3 for the triad, then

extend your little finger for the octave

A major arpeggio

This is the most common form of arpeggio. In

our example we’re playing A major: A-C#-E-A

Wrist movement

To get a smooth motion across the

keys , roll your wrist from left to right

Differences

Normally you would use

your thumb, middle finger,

and little finger to play

A-C#-E, but you need to

free your little finger for an

arpeggio like this

“Arpeggios are useful tools that enable you

to keep your music flowing, no matter which

hand is playing them”

Audio file

Listen to the audio files

and follow along on your

own keyboard

Give it a try