7th Arpeggios

[Barb Frison]

Anarpeggio (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-smallfont-size:85%.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-smallfont-size:100%Italian: [arˈpeddʒo]) is a type of broken chord in which the notes that compose a chord are individually sounded in a progressive rising or descending order. Arpeggios on keyboard instruments may be called rolled chords.

Arpeggios may include all notes of a scale or a partial set of notes from a scale, but must contain notes of at least three pitches (two-pitch sequences are known as trills). Arpeggios may sound notes within a single octave or span multiple octaves, and the notes may be sustained and overlap or be heard separately. An arpeggio for the chord of C major going up two octaves would be the notes (C, E, G, C, E, G, C).

In musical notation, a very rapid arpeggiated chord may be written with a wavy vertical line in front of the chord. Typically these are read as to be played from the lowest to highest note, though composers may specify a high to low sequence by adding an arrow pointing down.

Arpeggios enable composers writing for monophonic instruments that play one note at a time (such as the trumpet) to voice chords and chord progressions in musical pieces. Arpeggios are also used to help create rhythmic interest, or as melodic ornamentation in the lead or accompaniment.

Though the notes of an arpeggio are not sounded simultaneously, listeners may effectively hear the sequence of notes as forming a chord if played in quick succession. When an arpeggio also contains passing tones that are not part of the chord, certain music theorists may analyze the same musical excerpt differently.

Any instrument may employ arpeggiation, but arpeggios are more commonly used on instruments which serve the role of melodic lead or ornamentation. Arpeggios may be used as an alternative to continuous portamento for instruments which are not able to achieve that, or which have limitations in achieving portamento over multiple notes of a scale, such as keyboards, fretted instruments, and monophonic instruments like the flute.

Arpeggios are commonly used in many music genres and are particularly highlighted in genres with significant focus on melody and ornamentation, such as flamenco and neo-classical. Arpeggios are an important part of jazz improvisation. On guitar, sweep-picking is a technique used for rapid arpeggiation, which is most often found in rock music and heavy metal music.

Along with scales, arpeggios are a form of basic technical exercise that students use to develop intonation and technique. They can also be used in call and response ear training dictations, either alone or in conjunction with harmony dictations.[2]

In early video game music, arpeggios were often the only way to play a chord since sound hardware usually had a very limited number of oscillators, or voices. Instead of tying them all up to play one chord, one channel could be used to play an arpeggio, leaving the rest for drums, bass, or sound effects. A prominent example was the music of games and demos on Commodore 64's SID chip, which only had three oscillators (see also Chiptune). This technique was highly popular amongst European video game music composers for systems in the 1980s like the NES, with many transferring their knowledge from their days of composing with the Commodore 64.[3]

When you start learning arpeggios, what you really wind up doing is learning the primary chord tones for every chord type, first and foremost. These are the foundations of the harmony and, as bass players, this is where we live much of the time. Additionally, when it came to improvisation, I quickly realized that being able to outline the chord qualities when I played made it sound like I was really playing the tune and I felt like I could hear the song in my improvisations much more so than any time previously when just ripping scales up and down.

I'm just now learning the correct fingering for when practicing scales and arpeggios. Scales are going quite well, but when I practice arpeggios, I seem to have a lot of trouble with my thumb placement. More specifically when I move to the second octave.

For example with a C major arpeggio, I press C > E > G with my thumb, indexfinger and middlefinger. But then I need to move my thumb all the way across to the next C underneath my hand. My wrist feels very uncomfortable when I do this. I also often press the C key very hard because I need to move my thumb very quickly in order to make it in time. Even if I try to start out slowly. I try to move my elbow to the right when doing this movement and it helps slightly, but it still feels uncomfortable in my wrist.

The arm places the thumb. Using just your arm and gravity - not your thumb's abductor, play your thumb down on C, then from the arm, lift up the arm and hand and leading with your elbow play the octave higher C.

Regarding your wrist pain, a lot of times when a pianist crosses the thumb under the palm, they anticipate the next finger position and twist the wrist. This is called ulnar deviation going up and radial deviation going down. Eventually, too much twisting can cause problems. It will surely make you play unevenly and make your hands feel weak. Get your playing into your arms before you start using your fingers (forearm muscles).

To help propel your arm, and thumb, use your pronator and supinator muscles to rotate the forearm. They are located around your elbow. With your arm in front of your chest, rotate left and right very fast. Notice how fast you can move your thumb and pinky and notice that they don't fatigue at all. Those are the muscles you should use to play the thumb.

Also, because of rotation, remember that every motion has an equal and opposite motion. Using your pronator to play the first note with your thumb actually should start with supination. The rotation in the opposite direction gives the finger power and speed without using any muscles that actually move the fingers.

Throw something. Notice that you first swing in the opposite direction you are throwing the object. You need that in your piano playing but up, down, in, out, left and right. Try to play with a "still and quiet hand" and you will indeed create tension. Play from the arm and the hand will be still and quiet.

It's not so much making your thumb go underneath the fingers/palm as moving your whole hand. As soon as you've played the first C, the whole hand should have started to move right. By the time your middle finger hits the G, your thumb should be under that part of your palm. Whole hand then continues gently right, putting the thumb onto the next C.

The thump on that C is because you play the first three notes, then start to move your whole hand. Imagine instead your hand gently flowing to the right as each note gets played. As you then hit the second C, it stretches out so the other fingers are in line with the last three notes.

Try playing this arpeggio on B major. It should fit the right hand much more naturally. You can use this as a sort of transitional pattern to get the feel of passing the thumb under in an easier position. Compare it to the movement on C major.

Try playing the arpeggio descending as well as ascending. It shifts the which finger is last in the first position and first in the next. In other words, when ascending finger 3 is sort of 'holding' the first position, then finger 1 is in movement to get to the next position. When descending the finger roles are reversed, finger 1 is holding the first postion, finger 3 is in movement. It's a subtle difference, but it might help you get comfortable with the crossing under.

Also, you might try playing the full octave like this C4, E4, G4, C5 with fingering 1, 2, 3, 5. Then to change position you make a repeated note fingering on C5 using fingers 5, 1. Obviously, this doesn't directly practice passing the thumb under, but it will help with two things: help finger 1 spatially find C5, and contracting the hand to bring fingers 1 and 5 together. Both of those should help develop your hand and benefit crossing under.

Looking at a beautifully controlled and choreographed arpeggio, we notice a smoothness and fluidity in the way both arms move across the keyboard, seamlessly connected together and describing a gentle curve. If the arpeggio is played continuously as though on a loop, the curve turns into a figure of eight (or the infinity symbol), all angles rounded out. My general advice for arpeggios is to hold the elbows slightly higher than in scale playing. There will be a bit more space under the arms, as though a current of air from beneath were lifting the arms up slightly so that they appear to float. The golden rule is never drop the elbow down onto the thumb!

There are three main approaches to the thumb in arpeggio playing, all of which are viable. Which one you choose depends on the speed and musical character of the individual arpeggio as much as the particular school of piano playing you have inherited.

We achieve a physical legato to (and from) the thumb, the thumb travelling underneath the hand in the same way as in a scale. To achieve the necessary stretch comfortably the thumb needs to start its journey immediately, as soon as it releases its previous key, and the elbow needs to lead. This is the approach I recommend for beginners and intermediate level players presenting arpeggios for examination, and it is the most traditional. At the advanced level, I would introduce the thumb over approach as well as the arm shift.

Opponents of the thumb-under approach claim passing the thumb underneath the hand causes unnecessary tension at high speed (especially in the big stretches we find in arpeggios). Using an arm shift, the hand is simply carried from one octave to the next, the thumb making no attempt to pass under. A physical legato is compromised, but if done well there is no discernable break in sound.

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