Piano & Keyboard All-in-One For Dummies
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To expand your piano expertise, you should try some broken chord exercises. Broken-chord patterns are common in accompaniment figures and can help make you a well-rounded player. Check out these four patterns found in a wide range of styles.

Alberti bass exercise

Alberti bass exercise

The Alberti bass is common in classical-style accompaniments. The pattern is a simple re-ordering of the chord notes in an arpeggio.

Guitar-style broken chord exercise

Guitar-style broken chord exercise

Playing guitar-style arpeggio patterns often involves spreading the chord out over both hands. The next song is an arrangement of the classic “Careless Love,” with the right hand playing the melody and completing the arpeggio pattern started in the left.

Blues-style broken chord exercise

Blues-style broken chord exercise

Although you’ll easily recognize the blues pattern in this piece, it’s fun to realize it’s simply an arpeggio set in a triplet rhythm. Try the pattern with the melody to W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues.”

Octave, extended broken chord exercise

Octave, extended broken chord exercise

For a big, full piano sound, extend the arpeggio up to the octave and beyond. This extended pattern is a great exercise for the left hand. Keep the arpeggio smooth during “House of the Rising Sun.” Alternate fingerings are in parentheses.

About This Article

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About the book authors:

Holly Day's work has appeared in Guitar One Magazine, Music Alive!, culturefront Magazine, and Brutarian Magazine.

Jerry Kovarsky is a regular columnist for Keyboard magazine and longtime product management guru with Casio, Korg, and other companies who have been instrumental in bringing keyboard technology into people's homes and onto stages and studios around the world.

Blake Neely was a contributing author to the 2nd edition of Piano For Dummies. David Pearl is author of Piano Exercises For Dummies. Michael Pilhofer, holds a Master's in Music Education with a Jazz Emphasis from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Miami.  

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