Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Do Arpeggios Ever Become Enjoyable?

Personally I prefer to use my fingers than my knees, but each to their own
Ian

Thanks for the replies, everyone

It seems there's some hope for me - the consensus seems to be that there's a whole world of arpeggio fun/satisfaction to be had once I'm through the rather dry essentials.

I'll start practising them again with renewed vigour!

What may make arpeggios, arpeggio practice, or working on any technical problem enjoyable is if one's execution is improving. So the important thing is not just to repeat them over and over hoping for improvement but to have a clear understanding of how to do them correctly, what one may be doing incorrectly, and what specific exercises might help them improve. This is where having an excellent teacher is so helpful. Or in the internet age find a good video dealing with the particular technical issue.

Cross referencing from the Debussy thread



That is what the arpeggios are all about. Increasing comfort so when you get to the more serious music, they become natural. The fingers just move to position flawlessly, or with little practice.

Exactly. I don't play any technical for enjoyment (though I certainly don't dislike playing anything). I play so that I can learn, so I can progress. That's really the whole point.

I’m playing arpeggios and scales over three octaves- I quite enjoy it and feel like my technique is improving especially since I moved from two to three octaves

Scales and arpeggios are enjoyable, useful, comforting and challenging at the same time.

Enjoyable - whichever way you practise them, think of them as melody
Useful - for warming up and developing new skills or refining exisiting ones
Comforting - during though times learning a piece, it's comforting to return to them. It's something very familiar. It feels like home.
Challenging - they are very difficult if you aim to play them at high level, e.g. very fast, very smooth, and buttery-like.

From a technical viewpoint, arpeggios is very much like scales, just larger intervals and less notes. I'd say you'll find all kinds of arpeggios more often than scales in classical music.

Learn to love it, because you'll need it. Good luck!

Ah that bach prelude is pretty much all arpeggios. I'd love to be able to play it. Will get round to it one day.

For non-classical players, improvising their own arrangements, the ability to throw arpeggios in at will can be very satisfying. Practicing them, not so much.

I had no idea this was a common thought. I play arpeggios all the time. I love them.

They seem so easy to understand and applicable in so many ways.

I haven't played piano very long, but I've played them from the start.

I use them a lot when playing from lead sheets.

Ditto Jack

The last thing I want is to turn any piano technique into an exercise. Playing songs that require certain techniques you can experiment different ways to get the best sound. I have a Hanon book at home. My piano teacher says do 1 exercise a day. The pieces require you to play the same notes with both hands an octave apart going up 4 octaves and back down 4 octaves. Playing too many of these gets boring.

I find playing arpeggios easier than block chords you'd play all 3 or 4 notes. It takes some practice to be able to play at sync. With arpeggios at least I can think ahead for the next note.

Even some Classical pieces people would play chords as rapid succession of notes in ascending or descending sequence.

By themselves, I would say no. In the context of a piece you enjoy though, a resounding yes.



The bigger objective, to me is the enjoyment of playing. As such, I've never been big on extracting and drilling things and have rejected exercises as I've never much enjoyed them. Give me a piece I like with an arpeggio in it though and I'll gladly tear it apart.
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Over time and with enough playing everything comes up to speed more or less together anyway.

It's not a race and simply playing for enjoyment has served me well for a long time now. If you have a more pressing requirement (though I can't imagine what it would be), then perhaps you like to have everything at hand in case you ever need it. But another approach may be, to learn things as you need them.

The point of practicing arpeggios or scales separately is the they are so common that it is worth it to practice them separately so one doesn't have to practice them when they occur. Remember, one doesn't need to have a full scale or lengthy arpeggio to use one of the main things learned in scale or arpeggio practice, namely passing the thumb under the fingers or fingers over the thumb.

Perhaps, but if you're in it for enjoyment and there is an aspect you don't enjoy, why endure it? You're still going to develop these skills as it is required of the material.

I understand why people do it, just not why they feel they must.

Different people approach things differently. I think the most important part of learning piano is that you keep playing. Sounds basic, but it comes down to motivation.

If exercises make you not want to play, then maybe they aren't best for you. The fastest road isn't always the best and learning a new instrument takes time.

I like to move around and concentrate different aspects of playing, at different times. This keeps it interesting for me.

I play for enjoyment too. Some people look at practice as paying dues to be happy later. I think that's why most people stop playing before they become proficient on an instrument. I have beat myself endlessly to accomplish things on other instruments, but I'm done with that frustration.

I think we're of a similar mind. The dry textbook arpeggios with no pedal were killing me but - based on forum feedback - I just dug out an arp-heavy piece and really enjoyed it/them!

It was an arrangement of 'O mio babbino caro' BTW. Quite pleasant and not too much in the RH, perfect for the situation. I think I may have turned a corner - thanks, everyone!