Left-hand pattern · Dreamy ballad
River roll
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10.
Want to mix it with other hands?
How River roll goes
One bar over a C chord: a row for each key, a column for each step, the finger on each note. Over another chord, move the same shape to its root.
Open arpeggio: The left hand rolls up through the chord and back, like a wave.
Songs with River roll
Each one opens with this pattern in its player.
Often comes next
The patterns songs move to after River roll, from verse to chorus.
More waves
All patternsQuestions about River roll
What is River roll on piano?
Flows up five notes with a little step near the top, like a river. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10, one of the open arpeggio patterns: the left hand rolls up through the chord and back, like a wave.
How do I play open arpeggio 1-5-8-9-10 with the left hand?
Over C major it is C3 (5), then G3 (2), then C4 (1), then D4 (3), then E4 (2); the number after each note is the finger (1 is the thumb). Over any other chord, move the same shape to that chord's root.
What songs use River roll?
It is heard in 242 songs of the library, as the main groove of 19 songs, such as You'll Be In My Heart (Pop Version) (from Tarzan), Kiss Me, We Fall Down, River Flows In You.
Is River roll easy?
It is a medium pattern, in 4/4, usually around 90 beats a minute.