5 Rock and Pop Piano Melodies to Train Both Hands
To build hand independence on piano, drill a rock arpeggio pattern in the left hand over Em, Bm, C and D (first as power chords, then as spread 1-5-10 voicings) until it runs on autopilot, then sing and add pop melodies in the right hand one small section at a time.
Key points
- The progression is Em, Bm, C and D from G major or E minor, with irregular chord changes.
- Start the left hand with 1-5-8 power chord arpeggios, then move to 1-5-10 spread voicings.
- Build the left-hand groove from a simple pattern to full eighth notes, then add 16th notes.
- Drill the left hand until it is automatic, then sing each melody before playing it.
- Learn hard passages in small loops, and keep moving to the pulse.
This lesson by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music gives each hand a different genre. The left hand plays a driving rock arpeggio pattern, and the right hand plays catchy pop melodies on top. It ends with the chorus melody of Drive by Incubus. It suits players who already know basic chords and want a real hand-independence workout.
The chord progression
All the chords come from the G major scale, or its relative minor, E minor:
- E minor (E G B)
- B minor (B D F#)
- C major (C E G)
- D major (D F# A)
The chords do not change evenly. E minor lasts three counts and B minor only one. C major then lasts three counts before D major. This irregular timing gives the progression its rock, almost glam-rock feel. First play the chords as inversions in the right hand. Then play them in root position in the left hand, counting aloud until the changes feel natural.
Left hand level 1: power chord arpeggio
A power chord leaves out the third. It uses only the root, the fifth and the octave (1, 5 and 8), a sound heard in countless rock songs. Instead of playing it as a block, play the notes one by one:
- E minor: E B E
- B minor: B F# B
- C major: C G C
- D major: D A D
Start with a simple pattern counted 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. This alone already sounds like rock and forms the foundation for everything that follows.
Left hand level 2: spread voicing arpeggio
Now keep the same pattern but use the full triad in an open or spread position. Play 1, 5 and 10 instead of 1, 5 and 8. The 10th is simply the third placed an octave higher. A close third down in the left hand sounds muddy, especially with a band, so lifting it gives a clearer, more emotional sound.
- E minor: E B G
- B minor: B F# D (a stretchy shape)
- C major: C G E
- D major: D A F#
Building the full groove
- Play a simple pattern that leaves some beats open.
- Fill every eighth note so that all the beats are covered.
- Add some 16th notes, counting 1 e and a, to imitate a rock guitar strum and a classic drum groove. The next chord is anticipated at the end of the bar, on the and of four.
If the 10th is too wide, use the sustain pedal and lift your little finger off the root early to reach the top note. Children or players with wrist pain can use the power chord version with the same 16th-note rhythm until their hands are ready. You can also switch between the two versions.
Adding the right-hand melodies
There are two ways to develop independence. The main one is to drill the left hand until it is pure muscle memory, so most of your attention goes to the melody. The second is to read both staves and notice where the hands play together and where they do not.
For every melody, sing it first, then play it over block chords, work out the fingering, and only then bring back the left-hand pattern.
- Melody 1: a short tune starting on a higher E. The higher E keeps the hands from clashing. Start with the middle finger and use the little finger for the B.
- Melody 2: a stream of eighth notes ending in a 16th-note run. Start the run with the middle finger and pass the thumb under as you reach D.
- Melody 3: a four-bar melody with a semiquaver flourish that begins on a high E. Learn it in small pockets and loop hard bars.
- Melody 4: begins with a pickup before the chords enter. Play the chords as a steady pulse first.
- Melody 5: the Drive chorus, which starts on the and of two. Practise it over one chord first, then add the four chord changes.
How to practise
- Go very slowly, and use the simpler left-hand pattern before bringing back the 16th notes.
- Move your body to the pulse. Mistakes are fine, but the pulse keeps you on time.
- Listen as well as read. Hearing a melody lets you feel it, not just decode it.
Questions about this lesson
What chords are used in this rock piano exercise?
The chords are E minor, B minor, C major and D major, all from G major or its relative minor, E minor. They change at irregular intervals, for example E minor for three counts and B minor for one.
What is a spread voicing in the left hand?
A spread voicing plays the root, fifth and tenth (1-5-10) instead of a close triad. The tenth is the third placed an octave higher, which avoids a muddy sound low on the piano.
What if I can't stretch to the 10th?
Use the sustain pedal and lift your little finger off the root early to reach the top note. If that is still too wide, play the same rhythm with power chords until your hands are ready.
How do I develop hand independence on piano?
Drill the left-hand pattern until it is muscle memory, so most of your attention can go to the melody. Sing the melody first, practise it slowly in small sections, and keep moving to the pulse.
Practise it
- Voicing RoomA hands-on lesson room for piano chord voicings.
- 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
- Piano Hand Independence: Steady Right-Hand Pulse Over a Left-Hand Bass LineTo build piano hand independence, keep a steady, accented chord pulse in the right hand on C7 and F9 while the left hand plays a bass line built from the root, octave and fifth, with occasional chromatic passing notes.
- 3 Go-To Left-Hand Piano Patterns Every Player NeedsThree dependable left-hand piano patterns cover most genres: the umpah (root-fifth bass with a staccato chord), the four-note arpeggio (low, high, middle, high), and the power chord (root, fifth and octave) played in different rock rhythms.
- 5 Left-Hand Ballad Arpeggio Patterns for Beautiful Solo PianoFive left-hand ballad arpeggio patterns are low-high-middle-high (LHMH), LHMH with octave displacement, a fifth-plus-off-beat combo, a spread (open) voicing and an extended octave arpeggio, all practised over a chromatic E major progression beneath a fixed right-hand melody.
- How to Play a Melody With 5 Left-Hand Chord Accompaniment Techniques on PianoTo accompany a right-hand melody on solo piano, keep the right hand on the tune and give the left hand the chords, using one of five patterns: block chords on the pulse, eighth- or sixteenth-note arpeggios, broken chords, spread 1-5-3 voicings, or stride (low bass note then a chord near middle C).