What to Play Between Chords on Piano: Arpeggio Fillers for Accompaniment
To make the space between chords interesting on piano, mix block chords with arpeggio fillers: play three block chords and a triplet arpeggio in one bar, then a block chord followed by twelve semiquavers grouped in fours or threes, moving through inversions as you go.
Key points
- Mix block chords with arpeggios so fast rhythms do not sound cluttered.
- Bar 1: three block chords plus an eighth-note triplet arpeggio on beat 4.
- Bar 2: one block chord, then 12 semiquavers grouped as three fours or four threes.
- Groups of three semiquavers sound syncopated but are not triplets.
- Move through inversions and add notes like add2, add6 or sevenths for colour.
When a song holds one chord for two bars, playing the same three-note block over and over quickly becomes dull. In this lesson Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to make that journey more interesting using rhythm alone: block chords, arpeggios (broken chords), triplets and semiquavers. It suits pianists who know basic triads and want to practise inversions and beat divisions in a real accompaniment setting.
The two chords and their inversions
The exercise uses Bb major and D major, two bars each. These chords sound good together because they share the note D.
- Bb major: root position Bb D F, first inversion D F Bb, second inversion F Bb D.
- D major: root position D F# A, first inversion F# A D, second inversion A D F#.
The left hand simply holds a steady root octave (Bb octave, then D octave). For the right hand, try fingerings such as thumb-middle-pinky or index-middle-pinky. When you use the thumb, keep it slightly curved rather than flat, so your elbow does not pull in towards your body and strain the hand.
The rhythm pattern
Bar 1: three blocks and a triplet
Play block chords on beats 1, 2 and 3. On beat 4, break the chord into an eighth-note triplet (three notes in one beat). Blocking chords this fast is hard and sounds cluttered, which is why the chord is broken up here. The arpeggio can go up (low-middle-high) or down (high-middle-low).
To add interest, change inversion on each block, for example root, first, second, then arpeggiate upwards, covering more of the keyboard. You can start from any inversion.
Bar 2: one block and twelve semiquavers
Play a block on beat 1. Beats 2, 3 and 4 are filled with semiquavers (four per beat), giving 12 notes. Those 12 can be grouped two ways:
- Three groups of four. Add the octave of the lowest note to make four notes, such as Bb D F Bb, or A D F# A. Each group lands on a beat, so the accent feels steady and natural.
- Four groups of three. Use just the three chord notes. The total is still 12, but the groups cut across the beats, creating a syncopated, accented sound.
Groups of three are not triplets. They are still semiquavers, just grouped in threes. At 60 beats per minute, each semiquaver lasts a quarter of a second.
Arpeggios in bar 2 can climb or descend and jump between inversions, starting from any inversion.
Counting the subdivisions
The pulse never changes; only what happens inside each beat changes. Count triplets with three syllables per beat and semiquavers as 1 e and a, 2 e and a. Jason Zac also suggests Indian konnakol syllables, which give each sub-beat its own sound. With groups of three, at least nod your head on the beat while you play.
Adding colour with extensions
Once the rhythm is comfortable, keep the same pattern but enrich the chords:
- Add2 / add9: C on Bb major, E on D major.
- Add4: Eb on Bb major.
- Add6 (major 6th): G on Bb major.
- Sevenths: Bb major 7 (adding A) or a dominant seventh.
- On D, a Lydian sharp 4 (G#) adds colour.
A strong combination is Bb major 7 moving to D7 (D F# A C).
How to practise
- Learn all three inversions of both chords.
- Clap and count the two-bar rhythm.
- Play bar 1 on each chord, then alternate Bb and D one bar each.
- Add bar 2, first in groups of four, then groups of three.
- Vary inversions and directions freely, then try add notes.
Questions about this lesson
What can I play between chords on piano to make accompaniment less boring?
Combine block chords with arpeggio fillers. For example, play three block chords and a triplet arpeggio in one bar, then a block chord followed by semiquaver arpeggios in the next, changing inversions as you go.
Are semiquavers in groups of three the same as triplets?
No. They are still semiquavers, four to a beat, just grouped in threes, which creates a syncopated accent pattern across the beats. Triplets divide one beat into three equal parts.
How do I make a four-note arpeggio from a three-note chord?
Add the octave of the lowest note on top, for example Bb D F Bb, or A D F# A for a D major second inversion.
How can I add colour to the chords in this pattern?
Keep the rhythm and add notes such as an add2 (C on Bb), add4 (Eb on Bb), add6 (G on Bb) or a seventh. Bb major 7 moving to D7 works especially well.
Practise it
- Pop LessonsPractice companions for Jason Zac’s pop piano lessons: octave fillers, chord changes and inversions in every key.
- Rhythm TeacherBuild accent patterns, divide beats and explore odd metres and polyrhythms.
- 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
- 5 Ways to Make Your Piano Arpeggios Sound Melodic and SoulfulYou can make a piano arpeggio sound melodic by focusing on its top note and then copying the bottom note to the top, floating the top note through the scale, accenting a 3-3-2 rhythm, adding a colour note such as the 2, and floating diatonic thirds over a held root.
- The Go-To Left-Hand Arpeggio That Frees Your Right HandA simple go-to left-hand piano arpeggio plays the chord's lowest note, then its highest, then its middle, then its highest again (G, D, Bb, D for G minor), held together with the sustain pedal so the right hand is free to play the melody.
- 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.
- 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.