Sparkler
One note fizzes in quick little bursts, then wiggles at the end. One of the ostinato patterns.
How to play it
Find the notes
Put your right hand over a C chord. You need E (thumb, 1), G (middle finger, 3), A (ring finger, 4) and B (little finger, 5).
Count and play
Count "1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a" (say "and" for &). Play E and G together on 1, then G on 2e, 2&, 2a, 3, 3e, 3& and 3a, then A on 4, then B on 4& and 4a.
Move it with the chords
When the chord changes to G, the same rhythm moves to the notes of G: B, D, E and F♯. Play it slowly over the chord loop above, at 60% speed first, then faster.
Songs that use it
Questions
What is Sparkler on piano?
One note fizzes in quick little bursts, then wiggles at the end. A right-hand broken-chord figure repeated as a hook. Musicians call it repeated 5th.
Is Sparkler hard to play?
It is an intermediate pattern. Learn it with your right hand alone at 60% speed first, then play it over a chord loop.
Which songs use Sparkler?
Alive And Kicking by Simple Minds, Pocketful Of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield and Awesome God by Rich Mullins use Sparkler. The songs on this page all use it in the right hand, the most played first.