Improving your arpeggios and how to practice for virtuosity!
Let's talk about how to practice arpeggios in several different ways with different results in mind: Speed, smoothness, ease of motion, and more! Note the start time of 12pm PT, an hour later than usual!
Find the start time in your time zone by clicking the photo or following this event link:
https://app.tonebase.co/piano/live/player/arpeggios-dominic-cheli-1
We are going to be using this thread to gather suggestions and questions!
- What questions do you have on this topic?
- Any particular area you would like me to focus on?
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Hi Dominic,
Since so many pianists seem to be dealing with injuries because of incorrect technique, I was wondering if you could specifically address the correct hand position for practicing arpeggios, especially for people with smaller hands, and perhaps what would be incorrect and have the potential to cause injury. thank you.
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Chris Deiturriaga I injure my nail on the left hand middle finger, it gets caught between the keys especially when I play the g minor 2nd inversion arpeggio.
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Raymond Gornik
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Raymond Gornik hi, I am Chris Deiturriaga, but this is not my post so I have no idea how it ended up under my name!
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Hi Dominic,
I encountered difficulties on playing arpeggios in Ravel Ondine and Liszt Spanish Rhapsody :
1) Contrary motion arpeggios
2) When two hands are playing arpeggios from different keys
I found it very difficult to articulate them with accuracy, in particular when the passage is loud and fast. I would be very grateful if you could give a little suggestions on these areas!
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Not sure if this qualifies as an arpeggio but how would u practice repeating figures such as this one in Ravel's une barque sur l'ocean?
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Thank you for all the comments everyone!
NOTE THE START TIME HAS BEEN EDITED TO 12pm PT. AN HOUR LATER THAN USUAL!
Chris Deiturriaga aliceyip junhao Susan Rogers Emma Shi
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My understanding is that a lot of precision comes from having a good sense of keyboard topography, whence scales and arpeggios become much less prone to errors. I would love some tips on improving keyboard topography. Do you ever recommend playing the piano blindfolded (like Chopin)? :)
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Parag Mehta great question, Parag. I would also love some guidance with this.
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How do you play fast arpeggios with accuracy especially when the 3rd or 4th finger has to go to a black key? I always miss the note!
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Tammy me too!
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Had a question on the best way to practice arpeggios based on the ways it commonly appears in most classical piano music. One of the most common ways arpeggios are practiced are in triplets with the turning of the fingers up and down they keyboard. But they can also be played in quarter beats (or fractions of quarter beats) with a shifting of the fingers up and down the keyboard. So it would be good to hear your thoughts on which of the practice methods would be better practice for most of the classical piano repertoire.
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- I need to practice
Hi Dominic, I would like to know if you're supposed to play fast arpeggios legato, or if it's ok to detach them slightly. Fast arpeggios are hard to play completely legato. Thanks!
- I need to practice
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Hi Dominic, I wonder if you could help me with technique used when you have a very fast arpeggio going up or down. It's more of an effect. I am referring to Prokofiev's Vision fugitive no.2. I can't seem to get the speed and fluency. I'm sure you find this type of arpeggio in the works of Debussy and Ravel too. I hope you can help. As a child ( I'm 52) I was taught to turn my wrist when doing arpeggios but I've returned to the piano and this method seems to be wrong and not helpful. Any help would be appreciated. Looking forward to hearing your tips. Thanks
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Hi, trying to learn 4 octave arpeggio, root, 1st, and 2nd Inversions in c minor (along with C Major). The 4th finger is not consistent and lots of tension in forearm going into elbow. Also, the sound doesn't sound musical with all the holes when crossing over going down the keyboard in the right hand.
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Raymond Gornik Thanks Domenic. Looking forward to watching this again to work on so many good ideas.
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Hi Dominic,
I would like to learn more about the tecnical adjustments involving the shoulder, wrist, hand, elbow, needed to master arpeggios that have white followed by black keys or vice versa. Such as A major, D Major, etc..The keys of C, F, G major seem less difficult to maneuver due to notes all on white keys. Should white notes be played between black keys or outside of them? Also is there a height adjustment of the hand when playing black notes? Any tips would be great!!!
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How much leaning should one do with an arpeggio extending up and down on the keyboard? It seems that you are holding the same position regardless where you are on the keyboard,
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Michael by leaning, do you mean how we sit at the piano? leaning with body weight?
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Hi Dominic,
When you demonstrate slow to moderate arpeggios you have a lot of in and out elbow movement. I elevate my elbows just a little higher in slow to moderate arpeggios than I would when I play scales and this minimizes the elbow movement and achieves a good legato. I use the non legato approach approach for fast arpeggios which often involves pedal in repertoire. What are your thoughts on elevating the elbows just a little higher in slow to moderate arpeggios to achieve a good legato without so much elbow movement which can cause unintended accents?
Thanks.
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David Vandereyk Raising your elbows can certainly work! It creates more space and ability for the hand to rotate and connect the notes smoothly. I personally tend to use more of an "in out" rotation of my elbow rather than raising my elbow for my arpeggios. But, of course I have to be careful at unnecessary accents! There are many ways to achieve the same result! I think the only reason I prefer the "in out" rotation is because it occurs on the same vertical plane, and makes me feel a bit more secure.
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Excellent use of the camera angles to demonstrate all the important concepts you are imparting. That overhead camera and the way you highlighting not going too deep in the key bed was very helpful.
I like the distinction between articulating every note (not always desired) and making a smooth shape ("with some 'bumps"/melodic notes") - shaping the phrase.
Some notes - used as "vibrations". Ah, I hear that! For "effect".
It is amazing how quickly you find music when giving examples/answering questions, and even specific lines within a certain piece! Another impressive skill of yours, Dominic!
Parag, great question about topography. Others have wonderful questions, too!
Importance of the ending of the arpeggio...that you look at that first. Absolutely!
Thank you for showing us the downloading process on imslp.org.
Always a wonderful experience learning with others on Tonebase! Thank you, again!
