I always wanted to add this arpeggio run technic to
my keyboard playing skills. This method makes sense
and easy to follow along step by step...with practice in a month or so it could be done..

I don't have 88 keys here but I am taking it slowly on a smaller keyboard just to get the feel for it back and forth.

How many of you also think this could be done in a month?

I learned to play fast arpeggios years ago. But NOT on the left hand. This time around, and about six months ago, I decided I wanted to play left hand also. So I started a dedicated program. Every single day, nothing but left hand arpeggios, broken chords, scale runs, intervals, etc....all on the left hand.

On the right hand I took any song and played the song slowly on my right hand. Songs with many non-traditional chord progressions. The Impossible Dream, As Time Goes by, etc. Stop on each chord, hold the chord down, and play your left hand arpeggio OR scale run against the chord.

If you really want a workout....play the songs in different keys. Repeat until you can hear the progressions as they reveal themselves...and....your pitch recognition becomes fine tuned.

Six months now and it's just starting to work for me. A lot of practice, but I'm lucky....I'd rather do technical exercises at home than play songs. Playing songs is for when I play out.

Well...back to the "keyboard of the day" posts.

This arpeggio tutorial is extremely helpful if you listen to him closely. He talks about the brain and muscle memory, etc. This exactly what I've been talking about for years. Finger speed is NOT obtained by repetition but by use of the mind. At the end of the first video he talks about learning to play arpeggios by holding your fingers down on the notes of the chord. The purpose (as he says) is to lock into your brain WHERE the fingers are on the keys....once they are in the correct position. If they are NOT in the correct position, the brain remembers THAT also. The "holding down the chord" has to be done slowly and deliberately. And, most important, which he didn't say, to linger on the chord for 2-3 seconds and then move on to the next hand position.

I read many years ago, what a concert musician replied to the question: "how many times a day do you have to practice a scale?" The answer was "only once"...if it is done correctly. The brain locks that in and uses that input to repeat.

This sounds complicated and unreal. It's neither of those. It's simply an effective, alternative way to reach your goals in a fraction of the time....when done correctly!

Hi Mark,
think it would depend on the level of skill one has.

Zach, I think his name is, actually has an online piano course, so depends what level this clip is aimed at.


Me personally, no way.

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Hi Mark,

Just to clarify,
the “me personally, no way, “ doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to be able to do it, but no way would I have the ability to learn to do that in a month. ( if ever). Haha
Needs dedication which you obviously have.

Yeah...I hear you Rikki. I need to think more about "is it all worth it?" Do you get out of it even half of what you put into it? The answer is NO. I'm not going to win any popularity contests because I can play arpeggios at the speed of light (maybe even faster?)!

But, thanks for the reality check. I tend to get carried away. Your REALITY CHECK fixed that! I'm going to put my hand in a cast so I can't type the next time I decide to post my own "tutorial."

Turn on PA4X.
Open KAOSS
Have it play any arpeggio as fast or as slowly as you like.
I just wanna play songs. Don't play piano. I do a few arpeggios with right hand to complement styles and/or singing, but generally the arranger does it better than I do.

Don....with Rikki's "reality check" still in mind, and now in a "woke" state, I guess I have to say: If I had to choose between playing lightning fast arpeggios and being an entertainment Master like you, I'd pick....being an entertainment Master like you .

Hi Mark,
I think your ideas make sense as far as learning goes.

But is there much point in playing a lightning fast arpeggio ,unless you can actually use it in a song.

I’ve never quite known what to practice. Years agoI used to practice, Hanon , Cherny,
Scales , arpeggios , chords etc for at leas5 a couple of hours a day.

Anyway after 20 plus years decided to try again and start over, the online course I’m doing, Lisa just suggests, learn the chords , scales , arpeggios, for the song you’re learning . Works for me, I’m too old to spend my time practicing scales, I’d sooner learn a song. Haha

Very good practice techniques. Thanks for sharing!