Forward Arpeggio Exercises

To successfully play forward arpeggios, we need to separate our thumb from our three fingers. As soon as our thumb plays a bass strings, our index, middle, and ring fingers (depending on the number of notes played) will immediately and simultaneously touch the remaining strings of the arpeggio in a “spring loaded” motion. This sets up the next three notes of the arpeggio and allows for increased speed and accuracy. After the last finger plays, the thumb will immediately return to the bass note ready to start the arpeggio over again.

This alternation takes time and patience to execute correctly, and it is imperative to practice this alternation before attempting the following exercises. Don’t worry about the chord progression at first and work only on the right hand. You can add the left hand chord progression in once you are comfortable with the technique.

Exercise 4.1 - Forward Arpeggios (P-I-M-A)