Super Simple Piano

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Broken Chords on Piano

A broken chord plays the notes of a chord one at a time instead of all together. In the left hand it stays within one octave and keeps a song moving softly, which is why ballads and slow pop songs use it so much. Start with the root, the fifth and the octave (1-5-8) over one chord, then move the same shape to the next chord.

Start with Three-step climb, the one most songs use.

Patterns

Three-step climb

Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring.

Stair steps

Three notes climb up the chord in the island rhythm.

Yo-yo bounce

A long high root, a dip down, and back up like a yo-yo.

Gentle rocking

Root, fifth, octave, fifth: the gentle rocking under countless pop ballads.

Waltz ripple

A ripple of three notes in three-time.

Doorbell ding-dong

Two high, two low, in a lazy push rhythm: ding-ding, dong-dong.

Little steps

Up the chord and back, one step at a time.

Waltz climb

Three notes up the chord, one per beat: a gentle waltz climb.

Ping-pong bounce

High, low, high, low on every beat: a ping-pong bounce.

Double-tap drop

The same note twice, long then short, then a drop to a lower note.

Rock’n’roll climb

Up three chord notes and one step past: the 1950s rock’n’roll climb.

Busy rocking

A low root, then quick notes rocking between two higher keys.

Tumble down

Three notes falling down the chord, one per beat, then a rest.

Double-step climb

Two beats on the root, two on the next chord note up: simple and steady.

Trampoline bounce

Root, a jump up, a dip down, a jump up: a country-style bounce.

Island zigzag

A jump up, then down past the start, in the three-three-two rhythm.

Happy wiggle

Root, fifth, a step up and back: a cheerful bluesy wiggle.

Lilting climb

Three notes climbing in a long-short swing, then a pause to ring.

Hop-back bounce

High, low, then back up to stay: a simple, sturdy bounce.

Bluesy shrug

A long root, then down and back up to a bluesy note.

Dip-and-back bounce

The root twice, a dip down on beat 3, and right back up on beat 4.

Waltz rocking

Three quick notes up to the top, then one long note back down.

Banana-peel slip

Four steady beats on one note, then a quick slip down into the next bar.

Little rainbow

Six notes up the chord and back down: an arch in one rocking bar.

Drop-and-stay

A long high root, then the lower note twice: calm and settled.

Hammering bass

The same note hammered on every quick beat, dipping only at the end.

Over-the-hill

A jump up to the top, then down through the chord to home.

Bumblebee buzz

Two low notes buzz back and forth on quick, even beats.

Take-off climb

Two pushes on the root, then a climb up the chord to beat 4.

Rockabilly wiggle

Root, a skip down, a step down and back up: a rockabilly shake.

Wobbling tick-tock

The root and the note just below take turns: a cheeky swinging wobble.

Moonlit climb

Three notes rising to a soft, jazzy top note in three, left to ring.

Bubbling climb

Three notes climb, then start again: a rippling rise that sways in two.

Knocking drop

Three pushes on the same note, then a drop on beat 4.

Little-hill climb

Up the chord three steps, then a jump back to the starting note.

Climb-and-jump

Up the chord one note per beat, then a big jump back to the bottom.

Hammock rocking

Low, high, top, high in a long-short sway, like a swinging hammock.

Froggy bounce

Fifth, high root, low root, high root: a jolly hopping country bass.

Freight-train bounce

Root, up, down low, up: the chugging bass of folk guitar songs.

Round-trip ripple

Climbs to the octave and comes straight back home, then rests.

Drumming bass

The root drummed on every quick beat, with a tiny step at the end.

Jack-in-the-box

One note jumping up and down an octave on every beat.

Lullaby ripple

Up to the top and rocking there in quick notes: a lullaby in three.

Swan glide

Up the chord, then rocking between two notes: a smooth, gliding waltz.

Boogie climb

Each note played twice as the line climbs: a rocking boogie bass.

Jazz-club climb

Three slow notes rising to a soft, jazzy top, one per beat.

Fiesta bounce

A long fifth, then high root and low root: a happy fiesta bounce.

Hop-up drop

A jump up, the top note twice, then a drop below the start.

Gondola ripple

Up to the top, a pause to sway, and back: a gentle boat ride.

Popcorn bounce

A high and a low note popping back and forth on every quick beat.

Pogo-stick bounce

The same note jumps up and down an octave, with a quick double.

Rising mist

Three notes rising again and again, soft and floating in two big beats.

Questions

What is a broken chord on piano?

The notes of a chord played one after another instead of together. Over C that can be C, G and the C above, then back down.

What is the difference between a broken chord and an arpeggio?

Both play a chord one note at a time. Here a broken chord stays inside one octave and often turns back, while an arpeggio sweeps wider, up through the chord and past the octave.

Which songs use broken chords?

Für Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven, Experience by Ludovico Einaudi and Beauty And A Beat by Justin Bieber use broken chords. The songs on this page all use it, the most played first.