Practicing Arpeggios

[shane1985]

What is the best way to practice arpeggios.  I can't seem to get the jumps at a very high percentage.

Thanks!

[dj]

well there shouldn't really b any jumps unless u've got extremely small hands. just slow them down and ask your teacher about fingerings.

[BuyBuy]

The key to play good arpeggios is freedom of movement.

You need to feel free, like you're flying : so when you practice, start slowly and get a feeling for where the notes are, and then increase the speed little by little - metronome is a must.

As you play faster, don't search for the keys : it blocks you, tenses you, and you just don't have time for it. You need to let your hands run over the keyboard. Relaxation is the main point. Oh, by the way, it is always good to start an arpeggio with a drop attack, to get the energy for the whole thing and to acquire that sensation of freedom (don't throw your hand on the first note, drop it from above).

How not to miss a note when you play this way ? If you started very slow, went faster very gradually and got the feeling for how your hands go (how far the fingers stretch, when does my hand move etc), you won't have any problem.

[RiskyP]

I have never practiced arpeggios, how do you practice them? That is, could someone name some arpeggio patterns that I can transpose to other keys... which ones are the most frequently occuring ones?

[bachopoven]

Arpegios come up in many discussions and are said to occur in many pieces and practice sessions. So just to get the definition right, arpegios are just broken chords, right?

So the most common arpegios (to answer the above question) are those of the most common chords, correct?

[RiskyP]

I found a C major arpeggio for the right hand: C E G C'... etc.
This does appear to be the C major triad repeating. It says use teh fingering 1,2,4,1,2,4,1... but this is so uncomfortable for the hand, you have to twist your hand to get your thumb on that next C... is this really the way it is supposed to be done?

[BuyBuy]

The fingering for C major arpeggio right hand is 1-2-3-5, or if it's more than one octave, 1-2-3-1...

And no, no reason to twist crazily your hand. Just rotate it a little towards the right side, be ready to throw your thumb, and let go.

When you play arpeggios super fast, there is a break from an octave to another, cause you need to minimize the movement of your hand rotation, and by doing so you are forced to break the legato. That actually gives more freedom to your motion and allows you to fly over the keyboard. But really, at that speed, who can hear any break ?

[xenon]

im not sure at which speed you have to play them.  this knowlewdge is good enough for the speed at which i used to play them, roughly 384 notes per minute.

well, fingering is a must.  another thing is to tilt horizontally along the waist, while keeping the back perpendicular to the bench.  you want to center yourself along the part of the keyboard that you are playing at.

a great practice method is brahms's accents.  its a method developed by brahms (shock of shocks!  )  since arpeggios are in blocks of 4, accent the first note of each block.  then, the second note of each block, then third...etc... do this slowly, then speed up.  its a great method for me

good luck

[dj]

well actually the correct fingering for a C major arpegio is 1-2-4-1-2-4-1..... don't ask me y, my teacher (who is a freakin genius) gave some long explanation about some method or something......but i just accepted it, and moving the thumb under isn't bad at all if your hand is totally relaxed.

[dj]

ok scratch that.....it's 1-2-3-1-2-3....for the right hand but 5-4-2-5-4-2....in the left hand....sorry about that...i was kinda mixed up

[jlh]

At slow tempos, the arpeggios should be all legato, especially at the thumb crossovers.  At fast tempos, this is impossible, so you must (for C Major) jump from the 3rd finger to the thumb in the right hand and from the thumb to the 4th finger as legato-like as possible.  You basically keep your hand level, without twisting it like you would by crossing your thumb under the 3rd finger in the RH and the 4th finger over the thumb in the LH.

Also, when playing arpeggios, always look ahead.  For example, when playing a C Major arpeggio 4 octaves in both hands, always look to the next C for the right hand when going up, and the next C in the left hand when going down as reference points.  This will help a great deal with note accuracy.