Pieces › Playing pop

Arpeggios

The left hand that makes ballads sing

Instead of playing the chord all at once, the left hand rolls out its notes in eighth notes: root, third, fifth, third. That’s the sound of piano ballads.

Every chord keeps the same finger pattern (5-3-1-3): only the position changes.

Heard in: Someone Like You, Imagine, Let It Be (arpeggiated accompaniments)

Tips

• Your thumb (1) plays the highest note of the pattern.
• Let the notes blend into one another.

C and G arpeggios

C-E-G-E twice per measure, then B-D-G-D for the G chord.

Arpeggio ballad

C – G – A minor – F, the 5-3-1-3 pattern on each chord.