Arpeggios are simply broken chords where the notes are played one after the other in succession. They make it easy to move up and down the piano keyboard quickly and efficiently. Like anything else, your ability to play arpeggios on the piano will improve with practice. So here's a piece you can use to help with your arpeggio playing skills.
Follow this link to take you straight to my exercise piece "Arpeggio Practice" which you can hear and print.
Here's How:
Start by playing a C chord in root position with the right hand, C, E, & G.
Now change to the 1st inversion of the C chord with E on the bottom, or the notes E, G, & C. Then move to the 2nd inversion with G as the bottom note, or the notes G, C, & E.
Next, play the chords one after the other as apreggios or broken chords. So you need to play C-E-G, E-G-C, and G-C-E.
Add a fourth "top" note (the same as the bottom note) to complete each arpeggio. Then practice playing bars 3-5 of the piece "Arpeggio Practice" with your right hand.
Note that in bars 3-5 you're playing the following -- a C arpeggio in root position (C-E-G-C), a G arpeggio in 2nd inversion (D-G-B-D), a C arpeggio in 1st inversion (E-G-C-E), an F arpeggio in root position (F-A-C-F) and a G arpeggio in root position (G-B-D-G).
Once you can play bars 3-5, the rest of the right hand should be easy. Bars 7-9 follow the same pattern but in reverse.
Practice the right hand on its own, all the way through. When you feel comfortable with that, practice the left hand on its own.
Note that in the last 4 bars the two hands begin by playing arpeggios one after the other, and then come together for the penultimate bar.
As soon as you're ready, try playing a few bars with both hands together. Work in small sections until you've got the idea.
Here's the fingering system you can use for each inversion:
Root position -- 1, 2, 3, 5
1st inversion -- 1, 2, 4, 5
2nd inversion -- 1, 2, 3, 5
Note that fingerings are general and depend on the size of your hands & fingers and how comfortable you feel playing. Use the fingerings that suit you, and don't worry about it!
Tips:
Practice hands separately to start with.
Take your time.
Work on the hard bits on their own.
Vary your speed to challenge yourself.
What You Need:
- A piano or keyboard.
- Patience.
