A Better Way To Practice Piano Arpeggios - Part 1 | Arpeggios Piano Technique Explained

Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! So in today's video we're going to be talking about how to practice piano arpeggios. Now I recently watched several different videos on YouTube about how to practice Arpeggios and most of them involved methods of practicing in rhythms, or pulling the thumb under the hand as far as possible. Now in my opinion, with my technical background these Methods of practicing are not very effective. And in fact some of these practice techniques can actually cause more problems which we'll talk a little bit about. So in this video I'm going to show you a better way to practice arpeggios, so we can really fix the technical problems that cause issues with arpeggios being really smooth and fluent. Piano Arpeggio Technique explained. Arpeggios piano.

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#pianoarpeggios #pianoinjury #pianolesson #technique #pianotechnique

[Jamesdq]

Thank you so much for the video! I can’t wait for part 2! A lot of the videos I saw on YouTube that were teaching arpeggios never explained how to incorporate forearm rotation, it was all thumb crossing under. So glad that you explained how to apply rotation to arpeggios

[jackx]

I tried out what you suggested; swinging my thumb right under the palm of my hand, and what I noticed was that it doesn't just make those thumb muscles stiff - it stiffens up the muscles right the way up your forearm to you elbow - *not* good!
Thanks, PL!
A further point for me is that I'm developing osteo-arthritis in the joint where my thumbs meet the hand; swinging it straight down onto the keys is no problem, but swinging it sideways like that would put pressure on that joint in the worst possible place for me.
I've only been playing for a few weeks (with a superb teacher), and a key point I noticed when learning baritone horn, trombone, banjo and clarinet was how easy it is to develop a bad habit - and how hard it is to correct it later. Advice on how to avoid getting into these bad habits with the thumb is by far the best and the fastest way to progress.
A quote from the sniper in the film 'Shooter' has always stuck with me:
"Slow is smooth - smooth is fast."
What he meant was, if you focus on getting it smooth, picking up speed comes quite easily, but if you don't get it smooth, you'll never get fast. Applies to piano or golf - just as much as it does to shooting.

[lewlafanz]

Very specific demo, unlike many others beating around bush. The best I have ever seen
More than 10 yrs ago Thomas Mark taught me in person . I bought his book before he came .
But ever buying into it until recently my wrist has pain . I realized I used too much fingers
You mentioned him in another video . All are connected. You are an Excellent communicator! I hope to see more of your demos : anything would be helpful

[DavidMiller-bpet]

I am watching your demonstrations carefully and trying to be patient about thumb going away from it or 3 over 1 and 4 over one going toward 1. I will take your word for it and try to work it for more fluency and ease. Those movements, especially the gap to the thumb, are very awkward and, of course, at snails pace reveals a big gap. Thank you for the detailed analysis down below but I still have a question based on what's being claimed and demonstrated. I will comment with those folks down below. I have watched Part 2 a number of times. Will work it more.

Dave M

[philhosford]

The forearm rotation is often attributed to Taubman. It seems to be the main gist of her teaching. But the exact mechanics of the forearm rotation was describe many years before by Tobias Matthay.

[redsoil]

I extremely love your style and techniques! I absolutely love it.❤
I started to play piano when I was 21 and all people around told me that it was too late and they were very right..to become professional pianist. At music school I was among those of 5-7 years old. It was quite funny. However i have achieved my pleasure OF PLAYING piano by a very long hours. My 'old' fingers was the hardest work. After 8 years I could play some preludes of Chopin, tocata and Fugaof Bach and even as far as lieberstraum of List.

[hannahdavenport]

This was a really helpful video. Thank you! 💖
It’s just made arpeggios so much easier for me!

[Hollycb]

Wow!!! Why isnt this a more widely taught technique for arpeggios?!?!?!

[joeipod]

Fantastic video, thank you! Very clearly explained!

[Paul-lmgv]

Very good! Tx. Might I suggest putting a light over the lelft side of the keyboard to balance out the shadows and make all the keys look the same. Your lessons will look better.

[winsomewalstead]

You have a nice variety of content. Very enjoyable. Keep up the good work!

[debstr]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank You! I've been struggling and the other movements did NOT make sense to me. This helps so much!

[DavidMiller-bpet]

I don't know if it was this or another related video, but I have taken you up on your rec to practice scales, and arps as well in contrary motion. This is helpful because it is another way to get the establish the patterns in muscle memory.

C is the easiest for obvious reasons, same fingers and no black keys. I do it for all the white sharp keys up to BM at present. E flat M is the only mixed scale that I have found which has the patterns of identical fingers at the same time. Three flats is a very common key.

Very helpful. To my point, this is part of a disciplined practice regimen, predictable, doable with success at the tempo required for mastery, one can time the session or, what I do, set the repetition patterns for each exercise, checking whether I'm ready to increase tempo by how well it was done at this tempo; a path to better musicianship and ivory tickling. Not yet Glenn Gould.

Which reminds me of an inspiration. One commentator noted how Glenn's playing "was never about him, " he was in service of the musical muse, some imagined a(in)spirations greater than ourselves. A consummate artist. Quite a nice singing voice too, as he accompanies himself, even in public performances of piano works.

You clearly show that the music, and better playing of same, is THE boogey. Let's have fun!


Dave M

[michelprimeau]

Why not playing the arpeggios with 2-3-1 so that the large gap by G and C (for a C major arpeggio) is cover by 1-2 fingers?

[tuongvyhoangnhat]

thank you so much, just exactly what i needed ❤

[archanasingh]

Thnx for the info

Pls also make a video for best arpeggios to fit in any songs we learn

[clockfixer]

Denis Zdanov has a deeper coverage of arpeggios. Forearm rotation is not panacea

[TerebiJoke]

Rotating the forearm while moving up the arpeggio (for the right hand) makes perfect sense to me as it brings your thumb further up the keyboard, but when moving down the arpeggio (from your thumb on C, down to the middle finger on G, for example), rotating your wrist clockwise doesn't really bring your fingers further down the keyboard. Do you just have to lift your whole hand and accept that there's going to be a gap in sound at that point?

[del]

Good info and demo, I detect piano playing style taught by Dorothy Taubman who’s piano teachings are taught by Edna golandsky which I have been watching, which I am teaching myself this style, where do you get this style from thanks del

[robparker]

I'm now incorporating this into my practice and the difference is amazing when I remember to do this