Four Types of Steps to Arpeggios

• Constant Full Plant
• Initial Full Plant
• Individual Plant
• Free Play

Example Explained

Constant full plant was described in the previous lesson on arpeggios.

All fingers stay fixed in the plant position unless being released.

After release, the finger re-plants and lets the next finger release of the arpeggio.

Example Explained

The initial full plant begins as like the constant full plant with all fingers fixed in the plant position.

After the first finger of the arpeggio is released, it remains in a relaxed position above the strings.
The next finger of the arpeggio then releases and relaxes above the strings until all fingers of the arpeggio have released.

After the arpeggio has been completed, all fingers will re-plant and begin again.

Note: The constant and initial full plant cannot be used with arpeggios that repeat a finger (i.e. p-i-m-i).

Example Explained

The individual plant begins with the all fingers floating above the strings.

The first finger of the arpeggio will plant and release followed by the next.

Focus on the contact point of each finger to the string to generate good tone and control.

Example Explained

The free play is just as it suggests...free.

All fingers begin as the individual plant, however, the fingers are not to be planted. Instead, the plant and release occur simultaneously without a pause in the sound execution.