How to Remember "Correct" Piano Arpeggio Fingerings Right Hand

I stress that these are for the right hand as the left hand does not seem to encounter the same problems.

Very straightforward with only one crossover as you change octave’s.

The only variation is for arpeggios that start on the black note where it is not usually a good idea to start with your thumb at the bottom. Also if you are not starting on the keynote you might as well use the nearest finger for the odd note below.

If you have the key note as the third note of your arpeggio however as a second inversion arpeggio it is probably as well just to keep to the standard fingering

For flat keys you have another bottom note to play before your "stationary chord" part of the arpeggio. Bear in mind you have only moved the crossover point and so you are fine if you have the next three notes in your mind to ready shape when you get there.

How  to Work Out How to finger all the Right HAnd Arpeggios Fingerings

Using Arpeggios for an Effective Accompaniment

Arpeggios are seen as quite difficult to accomplish and they are a showy element it is true. 

TO LEARN THE EXAMPLES BELOW FOR DIFFERENT CHORDS I SUGGEST PLAYING THEM AGAIN, ONE CHROMATIC NOTE UP TO COVER ALL KEYS

 

ALSO PLAY THEM IN MINOR FORM CHANGING THE Es to E FLAT

 

The minor form is usually the most comfortable because the gap is smaller

The obvious single octave arpeggio 

A one octave arpeggio, unlike a one octave scale, can be played in one hand position without crossovers or even withopit using the arm to move across the keyboard,.

C E G C G E C can obviously be played easily as

5 3  2 1  2  3  5

DO NOT STRAIN THE FINGERS when doing the stretches.

 

Use the sustain pedsl to cover the gaps, do not glue the fingers in place.

 

You may omentarily lose contact with the keyboard during the new positioning as if stepping lightly over a very small non-threatening puddle!

  

More than One Octave one hand position 

By using the stretch available between different fingers, allowing the sustain pedal to hold the notes, and not trying to hold the full arpeggio at once you can cover 12 notes in one hand movement as in the example below. 

Add the tenth with new hand position

To add the tenth (note E or E flat in the minor version) just flip over the 2nd finger to the higher E or Eflat. (It probably feels easier in the minor version to E flat, because it is closer

This feels like you are still very much based in the original low hand position. So it feels quite natural to resume the original lower hand position.

CEGCECGE played with 54212124

Now add the 12th also

This time take the higher E or E flat with the 3rd finger to be able to add the G.

You could use the 4th if you wish but we are getting adjusted grqadually. If you do use the 4th it is less confusing to use that on the other lower E also.

Do not wreck your fingers by trying to hold on to the lower position in either case.

Remember to use the sustain pedal to give you the chance to do this in a relaxed manner.

Now Go Full Two Octave

Yes the full two octaves as recommended by the Associated Bored!

The crossover can be with either third or fourth finger.

The third is fine if you are prepared to do the higher octave with possibly a slightly unexpected distance between thumb and second finger at the top.

Arpeggio Demonstration is in the Video Below

DO NOT CROSS THUMB AND FINGERS

Well, that is a fine time to tell you!

But it becomes especially important with that last move and will serve you well otherwise.

I originally taught pupils to follow the thumb along behind the fingers or fingers in front of the thum) so you are well ready to ready to take over the new notes.

I now conclude  that to avoid stress, muscle damage and resulting playing stiffness the movement should occur naturally  as the arm passes naturally over to the new notes. It may even feel a little like my  earlier explanation to make this happen

The arm will no longer be straight in front of the body, but the elbow should hardly move and the hand is still straight in line with the arm

At the crossover point the only wrist movement may be what is termed rotation which may actually be two movements first anti clockwise to find the note then clockwise to secure the new position.

As this is the left hand page I sbould state clockwise first then anti clockwise going down, the opposite for right hand.

Even at the extreme left and right of the keyboard there is still a straight line between the elbow and the playing finger. This lets gravity and an up and down wrist movement to play the keys very easily.

Special Tricks with Arpeggios

Arpeggios as just one element of your sound and can be more than a row of notes that goes up or down over a chord slavishly. And it is always up to you the voicing - the spacing, or which notes of the chord you choose to leave out.

 

They do for instance provide a very light background for your tune but sometimes you may think they are a little bit vague and putting a "wash" over the melody rather than helping it.

 

In such a case you may be able to insert a couple of notes from the chord at a point where the melody moves to reiinforce it. Hopefully without interrupting the flow, just making it a tiny bit more solid in feel. Or even a full chord perhaps.

 

Another cause of characterless arpeggios is if there is no control over the emphasis generally. A regular wrist movement downwards may be used to mark the main beats (particularly important for compound time signatures like 12/8) or in places of your choosing for interpretation.

 

This (or the thoughtful use of playing simulatneous notes in the middle of an arpeggio) could also occur sometimes to emphasis a dotted beat

 

See & Hear the Effect and Practice of adding chords to Arpeggios Below

One Note Double Octave Arpeggio

I am not sure if this is an arpeggio since it includes only one note name over two octaves. It makes a big double octave roll sound and can be done with a quick repeated notes going between the fourth and fifth fingers on the middle octave note.

It might be notated as semiquaver triplets I suppose, but anyway just play it keeping the beginning with the main beat

See the Demonstration video Below