Master Chord Inversions, Rhythm and Hand Independence in One Piano Exercise

Play the I–vi–ii–V progression (G, Em, Am, D in G major) with the smoothest inversions, alternating an eighth-note arpeggio with quarter-note block chords, and keep climbing until you land on G major an octave higher.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 15 min

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This lesson from Jason Zac at Nathaniel School of Music is a combination workout for pianists who know their basic triads but still rely on root positions. One exercise trains chord inversions, rhythm, arpeggios and block chords, and left and right hand coordination, all over the popular I–vi–ii–V pop progression.

The progression: I–vi–ii–V in G major

In G major the chords are:

• I: G major (G B D)
• vi: E minor (E G B)
• ii: A minor (A C E)
• V: D major (D F# A)

Played in root position, these chords jump all over the keyboard. That sounds disjointed and is awkward to play. Inversions fix both problems.

Finding the smoothest inversions

An inversion keeps the same notes but rearranges them. Every triad has three positions: root, first and second inversion. Give all three equal weight, and learn them inside a progression rather than one chord at a time.

Look for common notes between chords and keep them still:

1. G major: G B D
2. E minor: G B E (G and B stay, D moves up to E)
3. A minor: A C E (E stays)
4. D major: A D F# (A stays)

Practise this first as plain block chords so the movement between shapes becomes automatic.

The climbing drill

Instead of returning to the same G chord, move up to the next inversion of G each time round:

• Round 1: G B D, G B E, A C E, A D F#
• Round 2: B D G (first inversion), B E G, C E A, D F# A
• Round 3: D G B (second inversion), E G B, E A C, F# A D
• Finish: G B D, an octave above where you began

If you start on the lower G B D and land on the higher G B D with no detours, you have done the exercise correctly, and you will have played every inversion of every chord along the way.

Adding rhythm: arpeggio and block

The right hand alternates two textures:

• Arpeggio: break the chord into eighth notes for one bar (count 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and).
• Block: play the next chord as four quarter-note blocks (1 2 3 4).

So the pattern runs arpeggio, block, arpeggio, block through the climb. Then flip it and start with block, arpeggio.

The left hand

The left hand does not use inversions. Low on the piano, an inverted bass changes how the chord sounds, so the left hand always plays the root: G, E, A, D.

Start with the root and its octave. To keep things moving rhythmically, toggle between the root and the fifth instead: G and D, E and B, A and E, D and A. This steady pulse under a changing right hand is what builds hand independence.

Improvising the rhythm

Once the pattern is steady, get creative. Leave gaps in the arpeggio, and replace the four even blocks with a more varied, punchy rhythm. These gaps make the music punctuate like spoken language, all while you keep the inversion climb going.

How to practise it

• Write the progression out with its inversion mapping before playing. Coloured pens help, and it takes only a few minutes.
• Play block chords first, then add the arpeggio–block rhythm, then the left hand.
• Move to other keys. In F major the same I–vi–ii–V is F, Dm, Gm, C. Start on F A C and climb to finish on F A C an octave higher.
• Aim to change chords without looking. With enough practice you can find any chord near the same spot on the keyboard.

Questions about this lesson

What is the smoothest way to play I–vi–ii–V in G major on piano?

Keep common notes in place. Play G B D, then G B E for E minor, A C E for A minor and A D F# for D major, so only one or two notes move each time.

Should the left hand also play inversions?

No. Low on the piano an inverted bass changes the chord's sound, so the left hand plays the root of each chord. Use an octave or a root-and-fifth toggle.

How do I know I have done the climbing exercise correctly?

Start on the lower G B D and keep moving up through the inversions. If you finish on G B D an octave higher with no detours, you have done it right.

Can I practise this in other keys?

Yes. In F major the progression is F, D minor, G minor and C. Start on F A C and climb through the inversions to finish on the higher F A C.

Practise it

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

• 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 Piano Rhythm Techniques That Make Your Chords GrooveThe 3-3-2 piano rhythm groups eight eighth notes in a bar as 3+3+2, placing the hits on beat 1, the 'and' of beat 2 and beat 4, and you can play it as single chord hits, as accents within continuous eighth notes, or as arpeggios.
• 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.
• The Only Left-Hand Piano Arpeggio You Need (Works on Any Song)Play each left-hand chord as low, high, middle, high in steady eighth notes (two cycles per bar), use inversions so the chords move smoothly, and then improvise a right-hand melody using chord tones, the pentatonic scale, singing, or small scale shapes.