How to Arpeggiate on Piano

Arpeggios are just scale-based note combinations that substitute for a chord, a set of notes played at once. When you arpeggiate, you take the chord notes and scatter them through your music. Here's how to arpeggiate for good piano sounds.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Find your arpeggio notes. These are the first, third and fifth scale notes of your major scale in your key. In order to find these notes, you have to understand the harmonic major scale, where "scale notes" contribute to chords. You can find more about the notes of the harmonic major scale at the Tonal Center.

2. Play up to an octave. Play all three notes in ascending order and then the high octave note.

3. Arpeggiate down. To "arpeggiate," remember, is just to play the scale notes you've selected. To arpeggiate down, just reverse the process by playing: top octave note, fifth scale note, third scale note, and back down to first scale note.

4. Arpeggiate over chords. Try holding a chord structure with your left or "bass" hand, then arpeggiate in the same key with your right. You'll get a great sound. A double emphasis on the harmonic scale with chords and arpeggios blending together.

5. Try "swift arpeggios." When you arpeggiate once within a set of musical bars, it's like a short musical flourish. Swift arpeggios put a great "spice" into a piano riff and demonstrate not only skill but solid music theory.

Resources

• The Tonal Center: an Online Resource