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UPWARD ARPEGGIOS

    1.      EXAMPLES AND ANALYSIS

Scherzo in C major  ( Alberti )

-        Left hand accompaniment plays a 3 eight notes "legato" arpeggio for 1 beat of this bar.

-        The chosen notes are the perfect C major chord  ( bars 1 & 2 ), that's to say : the root ( C ),        the major 3rd ( E ) and perfect 5th ( G ).

-        Bars 3 & 4 show a dominant 7th chord ( G - B - D - F ), on 1st inversion ( B - D - F - G ), without right hand "D" ( B - F - G ).

-        The C and F notes on the right hand clefs ( bars 2 & 4 ), cross with left hand to give the real chord roots.

-        Both hands are rhythmically complementary ( 1 quarter note VS 3 eight notes ), but sometimes use the same rhythm ( bars 2 & 4 ).

-        Left hand accompaniment is situated in treble clef, very close to melody. This allows homogeneity and lightness in the high-medium register.

Clair obscur  ( Yves Feger )

-        Left hand plays sixteenth notes arpeggio on a Db major chord ( 1^st beat ), F minor ( 2^nd beat ) and Fb major 1^st inversion ( 3^d beat ).

-        These arpeggios are more spaced from each other, and based on the perfect chord 3 notes         ( root - 5th - root - 3rd…).

-        Let's notice than right hand melody is doubled in 3rd, clarifying by this way left hand harmony..

-        As before, relationship between melody chord roots are complementary, often in 5th or 3rd intervals.

-        Finally, the basses on beats 1,2 and 3 also show an arpeggio, creating a kind of counter-melody to the right hand theme.

 
    3 voices 5^th invention  ( J.S. Bach )

-        Let's notice first the perfect rhythmic complementary between both hands, a "passive / active" conversation.

-        Left hand is playing a 3 sixteenth notes arpeggio offbeat, followed by 2 quarter notes. This repeated motive ( "ostinato" ) seems to be continuous and  allows  2 chords per bar :                      ( e.g. 1^st bar : Eb major on beats 1 & 2  /  C minor on beat 3 ).

-        These arpeggios notes represents a traditional perfect chord in 3rds.

-        The 2 quarter notes in accompaniment, create a relief to the right hand theme , like "french style" openings.

Rondo  opus1  ( F. Chopin )

-        In this case, accompaniment is taken successively by both hands with a spaced arpeggio on a Db perfect major chord, followed by a Ab 7th dominant chord, in 1^st inversion ( C - Eb - Gb - Ab ).

-        Here, the right hand theme is no longer than 2 beats ( bar 2 / beat 2  &  bar 3 / beat 1 ), and perfectly matches the arpeggio.

-        Accompaniment is flowing on almost 4 octaves.

       2.      Exercise

       Write and play an eight notes accompaniment with upward arpeggios for this melody, using the  

       chord symbols placed above the stave.