The Easiest Way to Expand Your Piano Arpeggios: Octave Displaced Arpeggios

An octave displaced arpeggio takes a simple low-middle-high-middle triad pattern and, every alternate time, plays the bottom note an octave higher (or the top note an octave lower), giving a four-note, guitar-like pattern from only three chord tones.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 10 min

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What this lesson teaches

In this lesson Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows a simple way to make common piano arpeggio patterns sound fresh and memorable. He calls it the octave displaced arpeggio. Instead of looping the same three notes of a triad, you move one note up or down an octave every alternate time. The result sounds like a hook you could build a song around.

It suits beginners who can already play basic triads and a simple arpeggio loop, and who want something more original than the standard pattern.

The chords used

The exercise uses four chords, with some played as inversions so your hand stays close to one position:

• E minor: E G B
• G major: D G B (second inversion)
• D major: D F# A (root position)
• A major: E A C# (second inversion)

Step 1: The common pattern

The usual approach is a cyclic loop from the bottom: low, middle, high, middle, repeated. On E minor that is E G B G, E G B G. It works, but it can sound a bit repetitive.

Step 2: Displace the bottom note up an octave

Play low, middle, high, middle once. The next time round, instead of returning to the same low note, play that note an octave higher. On E minor: low E, G, B, G, then high E, G, B, G, and repeat.

It sounds like four notes, but there are still only three unique notes; the fourth is simply the octave copy. Because there are four positions, keep four fingers ready:

• Thumb on the low note
• Index on the middle note
• Middle or ring finger on the high note, depending on the chord's shape
• Pinky on the displaced octave

The thumb and pinky matter most, as they always handle octaves. Apply the same idea to each chord: for G major, copy the D up top; for D major, copy the low D up an octave; for A major, copy the low E. On some chords you will need the ring finger for the third note, on others the middle finger.

Step 3: Displace the top note down an octave

You can also work from the top. Angle your fingers slightly and start on the high note: high, middle, low, middle. On E minor that is B G E G. On its own this sounds nice but not very unique, so on alternate cycles play the top note an octave lower. Apply this to all four chords.

Why it works

The technique comes from string players. Guitarists, banjo and mandolin players pick across many strings with three or four fingers and explore all sorts of finger permutations. For them this is a standard pattern. Copying it on piano gives a guitar-like, finger-style feel. It is easy to understand because it is the same note, just moved, yet the pitch displacement makes it sound distinctive.

How to practise

1. Get used to the grip of each chord slowly, one at a time.
2. Pair two chords, such as E minor and G major, switching back and forth.
3. Play the full sequence: E minor, G major, D major, A major.
4. Count steadily, 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and, then gradually go a little faster.
5. Add expression: let the volume rise and fall, use the sustain pedal to bring out overtones, and accent the notes where you imagine a snare drum hitting.

Questions about this lesson

What is an octave displaced arpeggio?

It is an arpeggio where, instead of repeating the bottom (or top) note of the chord at the same pitch, you play it an octave higher (or lower) every alternate time. It still uses only the three notes of the triad but sounds like a four-note pattern.

Which fingers should I use?

Use four fingers: thumb, index, middle or ring finger, and pinky. The thumb and pinky handle the octave, and you choose middle or ring finger for the third note depending on the chord shape.

Why do octave displaced arpeggios sound like guitar?

The idea comes from string players, who pick across several strings with three or four fingers. Moving one chord tone by an octave mimics that finger-style, banjo-like texture on the piano.

How can I make the pattern sound more musical?

Vary the volume, use the sustain pedal for richer overtones, and accent the notes where you imagine a snare drum would hit.

Practise it

• Chord TreesStart from a note and explore related chords, inversions and voicings.
• Pop LessonsPractice companions for Jason Zac’s pop piano lessons: octave fillers, chord changes and inversions in every key.
• 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.

Related lessons

• How to Write a Melody on Piano Using ArpeggiosTo write a melody with piano arpeggios, choose chord inversions so the top note carries the tune, then break each chord into a pattern like high-middle-low-middle, adding accents, diatonic wandering notes and passing tones to make it memorable.
• Play Melody and Chords in One Hand: The Piano Trick That Sounds ImpossibleTo play melody and chords in one right hand, keep the melody note on top with your pinky or ring finger, choose a chord (I, IV or V) that contains that note, play it in the inversion that puts the melody highest, and arpeggiate the lower notes underneath.
• 10 Rhythm Patterns That Make Chord Inversions EasyTo make chord inversions musical, play the root position, first inversion and second inversion of a triad such as Bb major or C major through real rhythm patterns like block chords, oom-pah, waltz, broken chords, arpeggios, the tresillo, the Charleston, dual-speed arpeggios and floating inversions.
• 3 Beautiful Piano Arpeggio Patterns (for Any Genre)Three go-to piano arpeggio patterns are low-middle-high-middle (LMHM), high-middle-low-middle (HMLM) and high-low-middle-low (HLML), played as eighth notes in the right hand over close chord inversions while the left hand plays the root of each chord.