Broken chords are a useful technical exercise and pattern to learn on the piano. They help to develop technique and increase familiarity with commonly used patterns in music. Broken chords share a lot of similarities with arpeggios. Just like arpeggios, they use the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of the scale. (See this explanation about how to build basic chords.) These three notes form the tonic triad of the key, and the pattern in which they are used differs slightly from that in arpeggios. Whereas arpeggios follow a continuous flow up and down, broken chords go back on themselves. Broken chords outline the tonic triad in its three different inversions. See further explanation and demonstrations below.
There are three main patterns of broken chords.
There are three main patterns of broken chords.
Compound time broken chords
The simplest broken chord pattern to learn is one which is included in the ABRSM grade 1 syllabus, and it is described as being in compound time because it is in 6/8. This means there are two dotted crotchet beats in each bar, and each dotted crotchet beat is divided into three quavers. For this particular pattern, you take the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree of the scale and play them one after the other in a five finger hand position. This is the tonic triad in root position. Then you take this triad and play it in first inversion, then in second inversion. So, for C major you would play: C E G, then change hand position and play E, G C (the C an octave higher than the first C you played). Then change hand position and play G, C E (this is now the high E and C). Then you play the C again to complete the bar, before playing everything in reverse and then finishing on a G. Here is a picture:
C major broken chord compound time
Here is a video demonstration of compound time broken chords in C major, A minor, G major, F major and D minor, hands separately:
Broken chords standard pattern
A progression from the compound time broken chords is the standard pattern, where four notes are used for each chord inversion. As the chord is still only based on the 1st, 3rd and 5th degree of the scale, one note is doubled for each chord inversion. It is always the bottom note which is doubled an octave higher, thus forming a four note chord in each inversion. For this pattern, the tonic triad is played in root position with the tonic doubled at the top, then in first inversion with the 3rd degree of the scale doubled at the top, then in second inversion with the 5th degree of the scale doubled at the top, then again in root position an octave higher than the first time. Here is an example in G major:
G major broken chord standard pattern
Here is a video demonstration of both hands together:
Broken chords alternative pattern
The alternative pattern is very similar to the standard pattern in that each chord consists of the same four notes (with the bottom note of each chord being doubled), and the chords are played in root position, first inversion, second inversion, then again in root position, as before. The difference is the order in which the notes are played within each chord inversion. Whereas for the standard pattern, the notes are played in ascending order within each chord inversion when going up (and in descending order within each chord inversion when going down); in the alternative pattern, after playing the first note of the chord inversion, you skip a note and go back on yourself - play the first note of the chord inversion, the third note, the second note, and then the fourth note. Here is an example in G major:
G major broken chord alternative pattern
Here is a video demonstration, both hands together: