D major arpeggio

Notes of the D major arpeggio

An arpeggio breaks a chord into single notes. The D major arpeggio is the tonic triad plus the octave: D, F♯, A, D. The black key in the chord is F♯. The other chord tones are white keys.

D major is the first arpeggio in this set whose chord tone is a black key. F sharp is the third, so it is in the arpeggio, unlike the F sharp of G major. The right hand still starts with the thumb, because D is white, and finger 2 plays F sharp. The left hand uses 5 3 2 1 rather than 5 4 2 1, so finger 3, not finger 4, takes the black key and the thumb still lands on D.

The D major key signature is 2 sharps: F♯ and C♯. Only the accidentals that are actually chord tones show up in the arpeggio. The others stay in the signature for the rest of the music in this key.

Fingering for both hands

Right hand, one octave up from D: 1 2 3 5. There is no thumb crossing inside that octave, because the fingers are 1, 2, 3 and 5. The crossing appears when you continue: the two-octave right hand is 1 2 3 1 2 3 5, so the thumb passes under finger 3 as you leave the fifth (A) and play the octave D.

Left hand, one octave up from D3: 5 3 2 1. Coming down, reverse the numbers in each hand. Fingers are numbered 1 (thumb) to 5 (little finger) in both hands.

Clef uses this right-hand pattern in its arpeggio drills: 1 2 3 5 for one octave, and 1 2 3 1 2 3 5 for two octaves, with the thumb crossing under after finger 3. The thumb lands on the root, which is a white key in every arpeggio on this page.

Inversions

The same three notes can start on a different chord tone. Root position is D, F♯, A. First inversion starts on the third: F♯, A, D. Second inversion starts on the fifth: A, D, F♯. The arpeggio above is root position. The inversions use the same keys and the same spelling.

Reading it on the staff

On the treble staff, D4 to D5 needs no ledger lines. On the bass staff, D3 to D4 needs 1 ledger line above the staff.

Say the staff positions before you play. D4 sits in the space just below the bottom line of the treble staff. F♯4 sits in the first space from the bottom of the treble staff. A4 sits in the second space from the bottom of the treble staff. D5 sits on the fourth line from the bottom of the treble staff.

The reading trap is the signature. F♯ and C♯ are already in force, but you only play them when that letter is actually in the arpeggio. Name the chord tones out loud once, then play.

How to practise the D major arpeggio

1. Say the notes, then the fingers: D, F♯, A, D, right hand 1 2 3 5.
2. Play the right hand alone at 60 beats per minute, one note per beat, and hold the shape so the hand does not collapse between notes.
3. Play the left hand alone with 5 3 2 1. Keep the thumb on D, which is a white key.
4. Stop on F♯ and check that the longer finger, not the thumb, is on the black key.
5. Add the two-octave right hand (1 2 3 1 2 3 5) only after the one-octave pattern is even. The new move is the thumb under finger 3.
6. Hands together come last, at the slower hand's tempo. Then play the three inversions as block chords so the ear knows the chord the arpeggio came from.

When the pattern is reliable, read it from the staff instead of from the finger numbers. The point of the drill is to see the chord and play it, not to memorise a diagram.

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Practise the D major arpeggio in Clef

Frequently asked questions

What are the notes of the D major arpeggio?

The D major arpeggio is D, F♯, A, D.

What is the fingering for the D major arpeggio?

Right hand 1 2 3 5 going up one octave. Left hand 5 3 2 1 going up one octave. Two octaves in the right hand are 1 2 3 1 2 3 5.

Which notes of the D major scale are left out of the arpeggio?

The arpeggio keeps D, F♯ and A. The key signature still has F♯ and C♯, and you play those accidentals only when they are one of those chord tones.

What are the inversions of the D major triad?

Root position is D, F♯, A. First inversion is F♯, A, D. Second inversion is A, D, F♯.