Moonlit waves
Rolls up to a high note and back down, slow and wide in three. One of the left-hand arpeggio patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your left hand over a C chord. You need C (little finger, 5), G (index finger, 2) and E (thumb, 1).
Count and play
Count "1 & 2 & 3 &" (say "and" for &). Play C on 1, then G on 1&, then E on 2, then G on 3.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: G, D and B. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Moonlit waves on piano?
Rolls up to a high note and back down, slow and wide in three. An arpeggio spanning a 10th: the classic ballad left hand. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (3/4).
Is Moonlit waves hard to play?
It is an intermediate pattern. Learn it with your left hand alone at 60% speed first, then play it over a chord loop.
Which songs use Moonlit waves?
Moon River by Audrey Hepburn, God Help The Outcasts by Bette Midler and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas by Lady A use Moonlit waves. The songs on this page all use it in the left hand, the most played first.