How to Play Octaves on Piano Correctly (Fix Speed and Boring Sound)
To play piano octaves well, keep a relaxed curved hand as if holding a ball, use the thumb and pinky with power from the wrist and forearm rather than the shoulder, memorise the octave span like a geometry divider, and when passages get fast or dull, octave only the important notes or add flams, shivers and thirds.
Key points
- Keep a relaxed, curved hand as if holding a ball, not flat and not with fingers in the air.
- Use the thumb's bony side and the pinky, with power from the wrist and forearm, not the shoulder.
- Memorise the octave span like a divider and watch only one note.
- In fast passages, octave only the important notes.
- Use flams, shivering octaves and added thirds to keep octaves interesting.
This lesson from Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music covers what an octave is, how to hold your hand when playing octaves, where octaves are useful in different genres, and two exercises: one for the left hand and one for the right. It ends with solutions for two common problems: octaves that are too fast to play, and octaves that start to sound boring. It suits pianists at any stage.
What an octave is
An octave is an interval: any of the 12 notes stacked with the same note one octave higher or lower. The frequency doubles each octave up and halves each octave down. For example, an A at 220 Hz becomes 440, 880 and 1,760 Hz going up, and 110, 55 and 27.5 Hz going down.
Posture and fingering
- Curved hand: imagine holding an orange or a ball. Do not play with a flat hand, and do not let the index, middle and ring fingers lock together or float in the air. That builds the wrong muscle memory.
- Thumb: avoid a stiff chopping thumb. Give it a slight curve and play from the bony side rather than the tip for more power.
- Pinky on black keys: you do not need to hit with the very tip. A slightly curved pinky reduces stretching strain.
- No claw shape: let the fingers rest naturally.
- No shoulder: do not push with the whole arm. Use your fingers, or the wrist and forearm when you need more volume.
The divider idea
Think of your hand like a geometry divider. Lock in the octave span, for example F to F, and move that fixed shape around. You then only need to look at one note, usually the lower one. Moving from Db to Ab, for instance, you watch the bottom note and trust the distance.
Where octaves are useful
- Left-hand grooves: in rock, dance, disco and Latin music, play the chord root in octaves following the drummer's kick and snare pattern, for example on Eb. Do not turn it into a melody, because rhythm and melody should not fight. When the chord changes, move to the new root and keep the groove.
- Disco: split the root and its octave so they alternate as eighth notes.
- Thicker melodies and chords: take E minor in first inversion (G B E) and add the G an octave above. The chord sounds fuller, and when arpeggiated, the floating top note can become a melody.
- Montuno patterns in Latin salsa need octaves.
Exercise 1: left-hand blues drill
In octaves, play A, C, D, E with a little swing. The challenge is to jump from A to C with no gap, so think ahead to C while A is sounding. As a variation, slide from D# to E, a tritone resolving to the perfect fifth. Add a simple A minor chord in the right hand, then try it over a 12-bar blues or in other keys.
Exercise 2: right-hand melody in E minor
The melody begins E, G, F#, D, B and stays within the notes of the G major scale. Play each note as an octave, with the thumb on the low note and the pinky on the high note. For a ballad feel, use the sustain pedal, but lift it just before or exactly at each chord change. The left-hand chords are E minor, B minor, C major, G major and D major over F# (D/F#). They can be played as arpeggios, such as E B G B.
When octaves are too fast
You do not have to octave every note. Choose the first note, the landing notes, or the important words of a lyric. Play fast, linear passages as single notes. Keep the divider shape ready between octaves.
When octaves sound boring
- Flam octaves: play the two notes a few milliseconds apart, like a snare flam, for a more human sound.
- Fluttered or shivering octaves: on long notes, alternate rapidly between the root and the octave for a sitar-like effect, adding dynamics.
- Add a third: stack a diatonic third inside the octave, such as G with E in E minor, for extra harmony.
Mix these techniques naturally, following the song's emotion, without overdoing any one of them.
How to practise
Octaves keep the hand stretched and tire the forearms. Early on, play for about 10 minutes and then rest for 5. The left-hand drill and shivering on a root and its octave also make a good warm-up, especially before a gig in a cold place. Do not overdo it.
Questions about this lesson
Which fingers should I use for piano octaves?
Use the thumb and the pinky. In the right hand the thumb takes the lower note and the pinky the higher one. Keep the other fingers gently curved rather than lifted or locked.
How do I play octaves without looking at both notes?
Treat your hand like a geometry divider with a fixed octave span. Watch only one note, usually the lower one, and trust the distance as you move.
How can I play octaves in a fast melody?
Do not octave every note. Play octaves only on important notes such as the first note, landing notes or key lyric words, and play fast, linear runs as single notes.
Why do my forearms hurt when playing octaves?
Octaves keep the hand stretched, so the forearms tire quickly. Take regular breaks, such as 5 minutes after every 10, and avoid pushing from the shoulder.
Practise it
- Pop LessonsPractice companions for Jason Zac’s pop piano lessons: octave fillers, chord changes and inversions in every key.
- Two NotesA guided field guide to intervals: consonance, inversions, scales, modes and the Circle of Fifths.
- Piano classes at Nathaniel School of MusicLive online or in Bangalore, with a teacher.
- All free music apps40 practice tools for harmony, rhythm, ear training and more.
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