Piano Runs and Fills That Make You Sound Pro (Using Arpeggios)

You can build professional-sounding piano runs and fills by adding one extra note, such as a 2, 6, b6 or 4, to a major or minor triad and running the resulting arpeggio up or down the keyboard in groupings of three (triplets) or four (semiquavers).

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 36 min

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What this lesson teaches

In this lesson Jason Zac shows how to create runs and fills on the piano using the major and minor chords you already know. Fills are the short flourishes you drop between chords, or into a gap when a singer finishes a line. The idea is simple: take a triad, add one extra note to it, and run that note group across the keyboard as an arpeggio. It suits intermediate to advanced players who are comfortable with basic triads and arpeggios.

The core idea: add one note to the triad

Almost every run in the lesson comes from adding a single note to an existing triad. Each added note gives a different colour:

• Add 2: G major (G B D) becomes G A B D; A minor (A C E) becomes A B C E.
• Add 6: G major becomes G B D E, a major six sound; A minor becomes A C E F#. Combining the 2 and 6 with a major triad gives something close to a pentatonic scale.
• b6 (the same note as #5): G major becomes G B D Eb. This has an augmented flavour and is a personal favourite in the lesson. Try letting the b6 step down to the 5 (Eb to D). On A minor the b6 is F, giving A C E F.
• Sus4: the 4 replaces the third, so G major becomes G C D and A minor becomes A D E, giving a more open, suspended sound.

Triplets versus semiquavers: the 3 vs 4 feel

The same notes can sound completely different depending on how you group them. You can play a run in groupings of three (triplets) or groupings of four (semiquavers). A four-note shape such as an add2 chord fits neatly into semiquavers, while grouping the same notes in threes makes the pattern cycle against the beat and creates a rolling, flowing effect. The feel depends on how your left and right hands integrate and work together.

Direction and fingering

• Runs can start from the bottom and climb, or start at the top and descend. Both are useful.
• To keep a run going across octaves you need to cross the thumb under or fingers over. Depending on the shape, you will cross over with the ring finger in some cases and the middle finger in others. Work out the crossing slowly before speeding up.
• Use the sustain pedal so the notes ring together and the piano's harmonics and resonance fill out the sound.

Where to use these fills

These runs work best in the gaps: between chord changes, at the end of a phrase, or while you wait for a singer to finish a line. They can also become a repeating background pattern in an arrangement, for example on a synth or in an electronic-style track.

How to practise

1. Pick one chord, such as G major or A minor, and one added note.
2. Set a metronome at a slow speed and play the run in groups of three, then in groups of four.
3. Practise ascending and then in reverse, starting from the top.
4. Try each colour (add2, 6, b6, sus4) on both major and minor chords.
5. Place the fills into a simple chord sequence so you learn to use them musically.

Look after your body while you practise. Keep the wrist, arm and shoulder relaxed, and stop if anything hurts. Practise with good intensity for short spells of about ten minutes, then take a break and come back.

Questions about this lesson

How do I make a piano fill from a chord I already know?

Take the triad and add one extra note such as the 2nd, 6th, flat 6th or 4th, then play those notes as an arpeggio running up or down the keyboard. For G major, adding the 2 gives G A B D.

What is the difference between a triplet run and a semiquaver run?

A triplet run groups notes in threes per beat, while a semiquaver run groups them in fours. Grouping a four-note shape in threes makes it roll across the beat and sound more flowing.

What does adding a flat 6 to a major chord sound like?

Adding the b6, which is the same note as a #5, gives an augmented flavour, for example G B D Eb on G major. It sounds especially good when the b6 moves down a step to the 5.

How should I practise fast runs without hurting my wrist?

Start slowly with a metronome, keep your wrist, arm and shoulder relaxed, and stop if there is any pain. Practise in short focused sessions of around ten minutes with breaks in between.

Practise it

• RunwayExplore runs, fills and licks with a chosen start and landing note.
• Groove MetronomeWork with tempo, accents and polyrhythms instead of a single unchanging click.
• 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 Count 6/8 Time on Piano Using Arpeggios (Part 1)To feel 6/8 on piano, add the octave to a triad to make a four-note arpeggio, play it up and down so it cycles every six notes, and count those six either as two groups of three (a triplet feel) or as three groups of two (eighth notes in 3/4).
• 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.