Session 7: Arpeggios
Overview
Section titled “Overview”- Phase: 2 — Harmonic Depth
- Duration: 75 minutes
- Prerequisites: Completed Sessions 1-6. Knows all 24 triads in all inversions. Can play 7th chords (Cmaj7, G7, C7, D7, Am7, Dm7, Em7). Comfortable with 2-octave scales.
Learning Objectives
Section titled “Learning Objectives”By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- Play 1-octave arpeggios for C, G, D, F major and Am, Em — hands together
- Demonstrate proper thumb-under technique specifically for arpeggios
- Play broken chord patterns: Alberti bass and arpeggiated accompaniment
- Perform a simplified arrangement of Chopin’s “Prelude in E minor” Op. 28 No. 4
- Identify chord qualities from broken arpeggio patterns by ear
Materials Needed
Section titled “Materials Needed”- Casio CT-X9000IN keyboard (Grand Piano tone — Tone 000)
- Metronome set to 60 BPM
- Sustain pedal connected
- This lesson plan open beside you
Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)
Section titled “Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)”Scale Review (4 minutes)
Section titled “Scale Review (4 minutes)”Play 4 scales, 2 octaves, HT, at 66-72 BPM:
- E major (4 sharps)
- Bb major (2 flats)
- D harmonic minor (remember Bb + C#)
- E harmonic minor (remember D#)
7th Chord Review (4 minutes)
Section titled “7th Chord Review (4 minutes)”Play these 7th chords as block chords, RH, 4 beats each: Cmaj7 — G7 — Am7 — Dm7 — Em7 — D7 — C7
Then play the V7-I resolution drill: G7 → C | D7 → G | C7 → F
”Autumn Leaves” Quick Play (2 minutes)
Section titled “”Autumn Leaves” Quick Play (2 minutes)”Play measures 1-4 of “Autumn Leaves” with both hands. Is the melody above the shell voicings?
Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)
Section titled “Theory / Harmony (10 minutes)”What Is an Arpeggio?
Section titled “What Is an Arpeggio?”An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time instead of all at once. The word comes from Italian “arpeggiare” — “to play on a harp.” When a harpist strums, each string sounds individually, creating a flowing, cascading effect.
C major arpeggio: C, then E, then G (one at a time)
You have been playing broken chords in the beginner course (the LH pattern in “Clair de Lune” was a broken chord). An arpeggio extends this concept across a wider range, often spanning 1-2 octaves.
Why Arpeggios Are Different from Scales
Section titled “Why Arpeggios Are Different from Scales”In a scale, notes are adjacent — each finger moves to the next key. In an arpeggio, notes skip — the interval between each note is a 3rd or more. This creates a bigger stretch and requires a different thumb-under technique.
The arpeggio thumb-under requires your hand to shift laterally (sideways) more than in scales. Your wrist must remain relaxed and guide the thumb smoothly to its next position.
Common Broken Chord Patterns
Section titled “Common Broken Chord Patterns”Beyond simple arpeggios, there are two important broken chord patterns:
Alberti Bass: A LH accompaniment pattern used extensively in Classical-era music (Mozart, Haydn). Instead of Root-3rd-5th, it goes: Root-5th-3rd-5th, repeating.
C major Alberti bass: C-G-E-G | C-G-E-G (repeating 8th notes)
Arpeggiated Accompaniment: A flowing pattern where the chord notes spread upward: Root-3rd-5th-Octave.
C major arpeggiated: C-E-G-C | (ascending through the chord)
Technique (15 minutes)
Section titled “Technique (15 minutes)”C Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, Hands Together
Section titled “C Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, Hands Together”RH — C Major Arpeggio (1 octave):
The thumb-under happens after finger 3 on G. Your thumb reaches under to play the C one octave higher. This is a bigger stretch than in scales — your wrist should guide the movement.
LH — C Major Arpeggio (1 octave):
Practice Steps:
- RH alone, ascending, very slowly — 5 times. Focus on the thumb-under at G.
- RH alone, descending — 5 times.
- RH ascending and descending without stopping — 3 times.
- Repeat steps 1-3 with LH.
- Both hands together, ascending only, at 50 BPM — 4 times.
- Both hands together, ascending and descending — 2 times.
Critical technique: Your wrist should move laterally (toward the right for ascending, toward the left for descending) to guide the thumb. Do NOT keep your wrist fixed and stretch your thumb — that creates tension. Let the wrist lead; the fingers follow.
G Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT
Section titled “G Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT”Same process. Note: the starting position is different from C but the fingering pattern is identical.
D Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT
Section titled “D Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT”F Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT
Section titled “F Major Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT”Am Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT
Section titled “Am Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT”Em Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT
Section titled “Em Arpeggio — 1 Octave, HT”Alberti Bass Pattern (3 minutes)
Section titled “Alberti Bass Pattern (3 minutes)”Play the Alberti bass pattern with your LH in C major:
Now play it in G major:
And in F major:
This pattern appears in countless Classical pieces. Get it into your muscle memory.
Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)
Section titled “Repertoire / Genre (25 minutes)”Chopin “Prelude in E minor” Op. 28 No. 4 — Simplified Arrangement
Section titled “Chopin “Prelude in E minor” Op. 28 No. 4 — Simplified Arrangement”This short, devastatingly emotional prelude is one of Chopin’s most famous pieces. The original features a simple RH melody over a slowly descending LH chord pattern. This simplified arrangement captures the essential character.
Tempo: 60 BPM (Largo — slow and broad) | Time Signature: 4/4 | Key: E minor
Right Hand — Melody:
The RH melody is deceptively simple — mostly repeated notes with small melodic movements. The emotion comes from the harmony underneath, not the melody itself.
Left Hand — Descending Chord Pattern:
The LH plays broken chords that slowly descend — this descending motion is what creates the piece’s overwhelming sadness. Each measure has 4 broken chord notes (8th note pairs).
Both Hands Together — Practice Strategy:
- LH alone, all 12 measures — This is the heart of the piece. The slowly descending chord pattern must be perfectly even and connected. Practice at 50 BPM. Pay attention to the voice leading — notice how the inner voices move by step while the outer voices move by step or stay put.
- RH alone, all 12 measures — The melody is mostly repeated B notes. Simple on its own, but expressive in context.
- Both hands, measures 1-4 — Very slowly at 40 BPM. The challenge is keeping the LH even while the RH melody sits on top. 4 times.
- Both hands, measures 5-8 — 4 times. The RH has more movement here.
- Both hands, measures 9-12 — The final section resolves to E minor. 4 times.
- Full piece, both hands — play through at 50-60 BPM.
Expression:
- Play pp to p throughout. This is one of the softest, most intimate pieces in the repertoire.
- Use sustain pedal — press at the start of each measure, release and re-press at the next measure.
- The RH repeated B notes should feel like a heartbeat — steady, slightly throbbing.
- The LH descending pattern should feel like slowly sinking or falling. Let each chord bleed into the next through the pedal.
- Measures 7-8 (the G# and A resolution) are the emotional climax. Allow a tiny slowing down (rubato) here.
Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)
Section titled “Creative / Ear Training (10 minutes)”Hearing Chords from Broken Notes
Section titled “Hearing Chords from Broken Notes”Exercise 1: Arpeggio Identification (4 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 1: Arpeggio Identification (4 minutes)”When you hear a chord played as an arpeggio (one note at a time), can you identify the chord quality?
Play these arpeggios with your RH, ascending. After each, play the same notes as a block chord to check:
- C-E-G (C major arpeggio) — sounds bright
- C-Eb-G (C minor arpeggio) — sounds dark
- C-E-G-Bb (C7 arpeggio) — sounds jazzy/bluesy
- C-E-G-B (Cmaj7 arpeggio) — sounds warm/dreamy
Now close your eyes. Play one arpeggio at random. Can you identify the chord quality from the broken notes?
Exercise 2: Bass Pattern Recognition (3 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 2: Bass Pattern Recognition (3 minutes)”Play the Alberti bass pattern in C major: C-G-E-G Now play it in C minor: C-G-Eb-G
Can you hear the major/minor difference even in the broken pattern? The Eb gives it a darker colour.
Try this in G: G-D-B-D (major) vs G-D-Bb-D (minor).
Exercise 3: Create Your Own Arpeggio Pattern (3 minutes)
Section titled “Exercise 3: Create Your Own Arpeggio Pattern (3 minutes)”Using the chords from “Autumn Leaves” (Dm7 - G7 - Cmaj7), create your own LH arpeggio pattern. Instead of playing block chords, spread the notes across the beat:
Dm7 arpeggio: D-F-A-C (ascending, quarter notes) G7 arpeggio: G-B-D-F (ascending, quarter notes) Cmaj7 arpeggio: C-E-G-B (ascending, quarter notes)
Play these three arpeggios in sequence. You have just created an accompaniment pattern for a jazz standard.
Review & Homework (5 minutes)
Section titled “Review & Homework (5 minutes)”Summary
Section titled “Summary”Today you:
- Played 1-octave arpeggios for C, G, D, F, Am, Em — hands together
- Learned the thumb-under technique specific to arpeggios (wider stretch, wrist leads)
- Practiced Alberti bass and arpeggiated accompaniment patterns
- Performed Chopin’s “Prelude in E minor” — experiencing arpeggios in great music
- Trained your ear to identify chord qualities from broken arpeggio patterns
Self-Check Questions
Section titled “Self-Check Questions”- What is the difference between the thumb-under in scales vs arpeggios?
- What is an Alberti bass pattern? Which era of music used it most?
- In the Chopin Prelude, what creates the emotional impact — the RH melody or the LH chord pattern?
- Name the 6 arpeggios you learned today and their fingering pattern.
Practice Homework (Before Next Session)
Section titled “Practice Homework (Before Next Session)”- C, G, D arpeggios — 10 minutes daily. 1 octave, HT, at 50 BPM. Focus on smooth thumb-under.
- F, Am, Em arpeggios — 5 minutes daily. Same process.
- Alberti bass pattern — 5 minutes daily. Practice in C, G, and F major. LH only, 8th notes at 60 BPM.
- Chopin “Prelude in E minor” — 15 minutes daily. LH chord pattern first until automatic, then add RH. Target: full piece at 60 BPM with pedal and pp dynamics.
- Scale and chord maintenance — 10 minutes daily. 3 scales + 3 seventh chords.
- Total: ~45-50 minutes daily
Common Mistakes to Watch For
Section titled “Common Mistakes to Watch For”- Tense wrist during arpeggios: The bigger stretch of arpeggios (compared to scales) can cause wrist tension. If your wrist feels tight or your forearm aches, stop, shake your hands out, and restart more slowly. Let the wrist guide the motion — do not force the thumb.
- Rushing the Chopin Prelude LH: The LH broken chords must be perfectly even. If any note is rushed or delayed, the hypnotic quality is lost. Use the metronome.
- Ignoring dynamics in the Prelude: Playing this piece at mf or f ruins it. It should barely be audible — pp throughout. Practice playing as softly as you possibly can while still hearing every note.
CT-X9000IN Tips
Section titled “CT-X9000IN Tips”Metronome with Subdivisions for Arpeggio Evenness
Section titled “Metronome with Subdivisions for Arpeggio Evenness”When practicing arpeggios, subdivisions help ensure evenness:
- Set your metronome to 60 BPM
- If your CT-X9000IN allows subdivision clicks (check the metronome settings — look for “beat” or “subdivision”), set it to subdivide each beat into 2 or 3
- Each click represents one note of your arpeggio
Why this helps: Without subdivisions, your metronome clicks once per beat and you play 3-4 notes between clicks. It is easy for the middle notes to be uneven. With subdivisions, every single note gets its own click, forcing perfect evenness.
If your metronome does not have subdivision settings, try doubling the tempo: instead of playing 1 arpeggio note per beat at 60 BPM, play 1 note per beat at 120 BPM. Same speed, but now every note is on a click.