Simple but Beautiful Piano Arpeggios to Serve Any Melody

To build left-hand piano arpeggios that suit almost any 4/4 melody, start with chord roots, move to root-and-fifth patterns, then triad rhythms, and finally the low-high-middle-high (LHMH) arpeggio in quavers and then semiquavers.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Beginner · 23 min

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In this lesson Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to grow a left-hand accompaniment one small step at a time, so the right hand can keep a melody steady while the left hand gets busier. It suits beginners who know basic triads and want a dependable way to accompany songs in 4/4.

The melody and the chords

The right-hand melody is in G major, which has one sharp, F#. A few fingering ideas help: use the ring finger on D rather than the pinky, because a higher E follows, which takes the pinky. The ring finger is used a lot, and the hand sits a little wider than usual. Later the middle finger plays F# and the thumb tucks under to G, after which you can restart the phrase from the index finger.

The left hand uses only three chords, the I, IV and V of G major:

• G major (I): G B D
• C major (IV): C E G
• D major (V): D F# A

Step 1: Chord roots

Play only the root of each chord. Begin with semibreves (whole notes), then minims (half notes, two counts each), then crotchets (quarter notes) on every beat. This gets you comfortable with the pulse before adding more notes.

Step 2: Fifths

Next, play the root and its fifth: G and D, C and G, D and A. Line up the root with beat one of the bar and play in simple crotchets. Strictly this is a rhythm pattern rather than an arpeggio. You can play the fifth above the root (ascending) or below it (descending). Start with the ascending fifth, then try the lower one once it feels secure.

Step 3: Triad rhythm patterns

Now use the whole triad, broken up in two rhythms:

1. Short short long: two quavers followed by a crotchet.
2. Long short short: a crotchet followed by two quavers.

A useful way to build independence is to sing the melody while playing the left hand, before you add the right hand on the piano.

Step 4: The LHMH arpeggio

This popular pattern works for ballads, pop, rock and most solo piano in 4/4. LHMH means low, high, middle, high, played as quavers:

• G major: G D B D
• C major: C G E G
• D major: D A F# A

Played too low it can sound muddy or busy, so try it around the G below middle C. Inversions are possible, but begin with root position so the roots sound like roots.

Step 5: Add the octave

Plain LHMH can get predictable. To add interest, play LHMH and then L'HMH, where L' is the octave above the low note. For G that gives G D B D, then the upper G, D, B, D. To move to the next chord smoothly, anticipate the change and get the finger ready for the new root. Where a chord change comes quickly, simply fall back to plain LHMH, since there is no time to reach the higher octave.

Step 6: Speed it up with semiquavers

Finally, play LHMH, and then the octave version, as semiquavers (16th notes), counting 1 e and a, 2 e and a, 3 e and a, 4 e and a.

How to practise

• Work through the steps in order: roots, fifths, triad rhythms, LHMH, octave LHMH, semiquavers.
• Play the left hand alone first, then add the melody, and sing before you play.
• Keep the right hand steady while the left hand changes.
• Try the drill in as many keys as you can, such as F major, and with songs you are learning.

Questions about this lesson

What does LHMH mean in piano arpeggios?

It stands for low, high, middle, high: root, fifth, third, fifth of the chord. For G major that is G D B D.

Why does my left-hand arpeggio sound muddy?

Arpeggios played very low on the piano can sound muddy or too busy. Try playing the pattern higher, around the G below middle C.

How do I make a simple arpeggio less boring?

Add the octave of the low note at the top, playing LHMH and then the pattern from the upper octave. You can also speed it up to semiquavers.

Should I start arpeggios in root position or with inversions?

Start in root position so the roots sound clearly in the left hand. Inversions can make chord changes easier once you are comfortable.

Practise it

• Chord RandomizerGenerate a chord progression, choose how simple or colourful the harmony should be, and practise it at your own tempo.
• 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

• 4 Left-Hand Piano Chord Patterns for Beginners (Accompany Any Melody)To accompany a melody on piano, learn the tonic, subdominant and dominant chords of a major scale (in G major: G B D, G C E and F# C D) and play them in the left hand using four patterns: arpeggio, oompa, waltz and salsa.
• 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.
• Piano Ballad Accompaniment: Block Chords, Broken Chords and Arpeggios (Creep Progression)To accompany a ballad on piano, play the I–III–IV–iv progression (G–B–C–Cm in G major) with smooth inversions in the right hand as block chords, broken chords or 16th-note arpeggios, while the left hand plays root octaves as whole notes, minims, toggles or soft ghost-note eighths.
• A Unique Piano Arpeggio Pattern Using Just 2 NotesHold the root of a fifth chord with your left-hand pinky and play the fifth with your thumb on every offbeat quaver, with the sustain pedal down, to get a two-note accompaniment that works under almost any melody.