A piano arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time, across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, so the chord is spread out over the keyboard. A C major arpeggio is C, E, G, C, E, G, C, played with fingers 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, and it makes the piano sound fast and flowing, like a waterfall.
What are piano arpeggios?
A piano arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time, across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, so the chord is spread out over the keyboard. A C major arpeggio is C, E, G, C, E, G, C, played with fingers 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, in the right hand, and it makes the piano sound fast and flowing, like a waterfall, because the notes cascade, up the keyboard, one after another, and the chord is heard as a run, not as a block. Arpeggios are the technique of the piano, because they let the player play the chord, across the keyboard, quickly and smoothly, and they are used in every style, from classical to pop, to make fast runs, and to decorate the melody, and to show the harmony, in a flowing way. The arpeggio is different from a broken chord, because the arpeggio goes across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, and the broken chord stays within one octave, and the arpeggio is longer, and faster, and the broken chord is shorter, and simpler. The C major piano chord and the G major piano chord are the chords most players first arpeggiate, and the piano note finder shows the notes of any chord.
How piano arpeggios work
A piano arpeggio works by playing the notes of a chord, one at a time, in order, across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, so the hand can play more notes than it has fingers, and the arpeggio can go on, for octaves, without stopping. The right hand plays C major ascending with 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5: the thumb plays C, the index plays E, the middle plays G, and then the thumb crosses under, to play C, an octave higher, and the index plays E, the middle plays G, and the pinky plays C, two octaves higher, and the thumb crossing under is the key, because it lets the hand move, without lifting, and the arpeggio flows. The left hand plays C major ascending with 5, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1: the pinky plays C, the middle plays E, the index plays G, and then the thumb plays C, an octave higher, and the middle plays E, the index plays G, and the thumb plays C, two octaves higher, and the thumb is the pivot, because it lets the hand move. The arpeggio is practised slowly, with a metronome, until the thumb crossing is smooth, and the notes are even, in time, and then the speed can increase, because the fingers know the pattern, and the hand knows the crossings, and the arpeggio flows, like a waterfall, with the notes cascading, up the keyboard. The D major piano chord and the A major piano chord are the chords the arpeggios are built on, and the C major scale is the scale the arpeggio is built from.
Worked example — playing a C major arpeggio. Put your right hand on the piano, with the thumb, finger 1, on C, middle C, C4, 261.63 Hz, and play the arpeggio ascending: thumb on C, index on E, middle on G, and then cross the thumb under, to C, an octave higher, C5, 523.25 Hz, and play E with the index, G with the middle, and C with the pinky, two octaves higher, C6, 1046.50 Hz, and the fingering is 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, and the notes are C, E, G, C, E, G, C, and the arpeggio is C major, played across two octaves, smoothly, without stopping, because the thumb crossed under. Now play the arpeggio descending, with the fingering reversed, 5, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, and the notes go down, C, G, E, C, G, E, C, and the arpeggio flows, down the keyboard, like a waterfall, in reverse. The key of C major lists the chords the arpeggios are built on.
How to practise piano arpeggios
Practise arpeggios slowly, with a metronome, until the thumb crossing is smooth, and the notes are even, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Play the C major arpeggio with the right hand, ascending, fingering 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, and listen for the notes to flow, without stopping, at the thumb crossing.
- Play the C major arpeggio with the left hand, ascending, fingering 5, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, and listen for the notes to flow, without stopping, at the thumb crossing.
- Play the arpeggio descending, with the fingering reversed, and listen for the notes to flow, without stopping, at the crossings.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major and play the arpeggio of each chord, with the right fingering, and listen for the arpeggios to be smooth.
- Practise with the metronome at 60 beats per minute, and increase the tempo by 5 beats per minute when the arpeggio is clean at the current tempo.
Common mistakes
- Lifting the hand at the thumb crossing — A hand that lifts at the thumb crossing will stop the arpeggio, because the hand must move, and the thumb must cross under, without the hand lifting, and the arpeggio will be choppy, not smooth. Keep the hand level, and let the thumb cross under, quickly and smoothly, without lifting.
- Playing the notes unevenly — An arpeggio should be even, in time, with each note the same length, and a player who plays the notes unevenly will make the run sound lumpy, and the music will not flow. Practise with a metronome, and play each note evenly, on the beat, and the arpeggio will be smooth.
- Practising too fast, too soon — An arpeggio practised too fast, too soon, will have mistakes, because the fingers are not ready, and the crossings are not smooth, and the mistakes will become habits, because they are practised. Practise slowly, until the arpeggio is clean, and then increase the speed, with the metronome.
Quick reference
This table shows the fingering for a C major arpeggio, for the right hand and the left hand, ascending and descending, so you can see the fingering side by side and practise it one hand at a time. The thumb crosses under in the right hand, and the thumb is the pivot in the left hand, and the fingering is the map, on the keyboard.
| Hand | Direction | Fingering (C major) |
|---|---|---|
| Right hand | Ascending | 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 |
| Right hand | Descending | 5 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1 |
| Left hand | Ascending | 5 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2 – 1 |
| Left hand | Descending | 1 – 2 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 3 – 5 |
Use the table to practise the arpeggios: play the arpeggio ascending and descending, with each hand, and listen for the notes to flow, without stopping, at the crossings, and the thumb to cross under smoothly. When you can play the arpeggio, in both hands, at 120 beats per minute, you have the arpeggio, and the piano will sound like a waterfall.
Frequently asked questions
What are piano arpeggios?
A piano arpeggio is the notes of a chord played one at a time, across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, so the chord is spread out over the keyboard. A C major arpeggio is C, E, G, C, E, G, C, played with fingers 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5.
What is the difference between an arpeggio and a broken chord?
An arpeggio is the notes of a chord, played one at a time, across octaves, with the thumb crossing under, and it is longer, and faster, while a broken chord is the notes of a chord, played one at a time, within one octave, and it is shorter, and simpler.
What is the fingering for a C major arpeggio, right hand?
Ascending, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, with the thumb crossing under after the 3rd finger, to play C, an octave higher, and descending, 5, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, with the thumb crossing under after the 1st finger.
What is the fingering for a C major arpeggio, left hand?
Ascending, 5, 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1, with the thumb playing C, an octave higher, after the index plays G, and descending, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 5, with the thumb crossing under after the 1st finger.
Why practise arpeggios?
Because arpeggios build the fingers, and the thumb crossing, and they let the player play the chord, across the keyboard, quickly and smoothly, and they are used in every style, to make fast runs, and to decorate the melody, and to show the harmony, in a flowing way.