Nathaniel School of Music

4 Modern Pop Piano Arpeggio Patterns From Just One Chord (Both Hands)

Jason Zac's method uses one two-hand Eb arpeggio shape (Eb, Eb, G, Eb) played over the 3-3-2 tresillo rhythm, then varies it by floating a middle note through the scale, using close thirds, using spread thirds and moving the bass, so a pop ballad sounds harmonically rich without a written chord progression.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 31 min

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Key points

This lesson shows you how to build an emotional modern pop ballad on the piano from one simple two-hand arpeggio shape. There is no chord progression to learn. You keep one rhythm and one hand position, then explore the scale around it. It suits ballads, country, ambient music and modern praise and worship, and leaves plenty of room for a singer. It is aimed at late beginners and intermediate players who can already use both hands together.

The rhythm: the tresillo (3-3-2)

The pattern follows the tresillo, the 3-3-2 feel heard in countless pop ballads from the past decade. Count it as 1 2 3, 1 2 3, 1 2. It is not a triplet. Underneath, you are counting eight even eighth notes: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. The accents fall on 1, the and of 2, and 4.

Keep a steady pulse while you play. You can feel it in quarter notes, or more commonly as slower half notes.

The base pattern in Eb major

The lesson uses the Eb major scale: Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D. First set up the hand shape:

Try playing all four notes together first so the shape is in your hands. Then break it into an arpeggio shared between both hands:

  1. Strike the left-hand root and octave on the first accent.
  2. Fill the gaps with the right hand, G and then high Eb.
  3. The left hand marks the tresillo accents, and the right hand fills the missing beats.
  4. Finish the last group of two by playing both thumbs together.

Let notes ring and hold while the others move. If holding everything is hard at first, leave out the left pinky. It sounds a little less deep, but it still works. Add strong dynamics, swelling louder and softer as you play.

Variation 1: Float the middle note

Keep the Eb foundation and let the right-hand thumb note wander through the scale. Play G on one cycle, then Ab, Bb or F on the next. Stay inside the key. A natural, for example, is a tritone away from Eb and pulls you out of the pop-folk sound. For ear training, pick out the floating note and sing it, with note names or swaras. To get a minor mood, switch to the Eb minor scale. The pattern works in either scale.

Variation 2: Close thirds in the right hand

Instead of one floating note, float diatonic thirds above the root: Eb-G, F-Ab, G-Bb, Ab-C, Bb-D and C-Eb. To reach higher notes, change the top note of the right hand from Eb to Bb, the fifth of the scale. This gives a fuller, more colourful sound.

Variation 3: Spread thirds

Take the upper note of each third and place it below the lower note. This gives a wider, deeper sound. The pairs become G under Eb, Ab under F, Bb under G, C under Ab and D under Bb. You can walk the whole scale this way. On the final two-count hit, play both notes of the pair together. Try it in a minor scale and the emotion changes completely. The mood comes from the scale, not from the pattern.

Variation 4: Float the bass

Now let the left hand move too. Change its root and octave from Eb to notes such as C or Bb, but keep the same 3-3-2 rhythm. To practise, keep the right hand simple at first and move the left hand slowly. Then add the right-hand variations back in.

Putting it together

Combine the variations to shape a full song. For example, use spread thirds over a static root for a soft verse, then a changing bass with spread voicings for a louder chorus. Use dynamics to separate sections, and sing a different simple melody over each variation.

Questions about this lesson

Is the tresillo the same as a triplet?

No. The tresillo groups eight even eighth notes as 3-3-2, with accents on 1, the and of 2, and 4. Triplets divide each beat into three equal parts.

Which fingers should I use for the base pattern?

Use the left pinky and thumb on the low Eb octave. In the right hand, use the thumb on G and the ring finger on the high Eb, because the pinky angles awkwardly on a black key.

What are spread thirds on piano?

Spread thirds take the upper note of a third and play it below the lower note, such as G under Eb or Ab under F. This makes the sound wider and deeper than a close third.

Can this pattern sound sad instead of happy?

Yes. The emotion comes from the scale, not the pattern, so switching from Eb major to Eb minor gives a darker, film-like mood.

Practise it

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