Those damn arpeggios!

[jacobrudduck]

Hi all, I really hope that somebody can help me on this; I'm quite stumped!

I have been playing piano semi-seriously for a few years. I can pull off some pretty fast scales, but I'm a complete novice at playing arpeggios.

I just don't understand the technique involved here- I guess what I'm doing right now is a sliiightly counter-clockwise motion with my wrist when playing downwards arpeggios, but mostly I'm just trying to move my arm along with the correct fingering.



I've noted the fingering I've been trying. In the first set, I use finger 4 to hit the second note, and then with all the rest I use 3. Looking back on this now, I realise this is probably not the correct way of fingering. But I'm pretty stumped on how these are pulled off quickly.

Could anybody please shed some light on the technique involved here? Sorry if it's a rather vague question, I hope you all understand what I mean

[keyofc]

I would use 5 4 2 1 on the last two sets.
It's easier.
Don't hold onto the notes - as soon as you play one, let it go, moving your arm towards next note.

Try doing this
With finger 5, play stacatto, F, D, A, F a few times.
As you do it - notice how your arm moves when you play that way.
Try incorporating that movement into your arpeggios with correct fingering afterwards.
Hope that helps!
key of C

[j_menz]

I would use 5 4 2 1 on the last two sets.
It's easier.

I agree.  Also, you will notice that the fourth set is identical to the first, just an octave lower.  You should use the same fingering unless there is a good reason not to (without seeing what happens next I can't tell for sure, thought though the F looks to be tied on), that way you get used to the one pattern.

Additionally, it is important to remember that the accent falls on the first note of each set. The temptation is to roll them down and put the emphasis in the thumb, which is a heavier finger in any case.  This not only sounds awful, but impedes your progress because you wind up playing a cross rhythm with the left hand, which throws you out.

[johnmar78]

there are 4 groups of 1/16th, put accent on each fifth notes,the begining note. Whi;e you are playing thinking of 4 beats but in group of 16 notes legato.

[jacobrudduck]

First of all, thank you all for your replies  

I would use 5 4 2 1 on the last two sets.
It's easier.
Don't hold onto the notes - as soon as you play one, let it go, moving your arm towards next note.

AH!

Additionally, it is important to remember that the accent falls on the first note of each set. The temptation is to roll them down and put the emphasis in the thumb, which is a heavier finger in any case.  This not only sounds awful, but impedes your progress because you wind up playing a cross rhythm with the left hand, which throws you out.

I think you both just helped me understand what I'm doing wrong What I seem to be doing now is exactly as you described: rolling them down almost legato fashion. I understood the beat falling on the first note of each set, but the way I was doing was placing emphasis on the last, like you say, which created another problem.

 You should use the same fingering unless there is a good reason not to (without seeing what happens next I can't tell for sure, thought though the F looks to be tied on), that way you get used to the one pattern.

So, would you recommend using the same fingering for all of the sets, or 3/4, just to be clear?

I understand about playing them staccato now: LET the note go BEFORE I play the next. SO I should never have more than one finger down at a time, if that's correct. Looking at it now, it makes so much more sense: there's no slur written and it wouldn't make musical sense if there were. So simple, and I might not have realised it otherwise.

Thank you, you've helped a lot  




This is what happens next   My fingering after the arpgs goes 4, 43, 4, 43, 4, 43, 4, 5, 2.. 1. After that you can see it's a jump two octaves up