Broken Chord Runs With Added Chromatic Notes

By Thomas Gunther

October 20, 2024

Broken Chord Runs Explained

What do I mean by broken chord runs?

Take, for example, a G major triad. We can play this thing one note at a time, which makes it a broken chord. On top of that, we can play it in different inversions. On top of that, we can change the order of the notes within each inversion. You can hardly imagine the incredible number of runs we can create. To get inspired, you can find many examples of how broken chord runs can be creatively used in classical piano music literature and pop and jazz music.

Adding In a chromatic note

At the beginning of this article, I discussed introducing a chromatic note into the mix. This makes our broken chord runs much more interesting.

Now would be an excellent time to watch my video tutorial based on this idea!

About the author

Born and raised in Germany, Thomas Gunther (in Germany known as Thommy Günther) is a versatile internationally active jazz pianist/keyboardist, music producer, and music educator. 
Thomas holds a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Performing Jazz and Popular Music from the State University of Music and Performing Arts Stuttgart/Germany.
After moving to Chicago, he soon becomes the principal pianist with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Stan Kenton's music arranger/composer William Russo. With this group he had the pleasure of performing with world renown guest artists such as Randy Brecker, Body DiFranco, Archie Sheep, Jon Faddis, Cassandra Wilson, Orbert Davis, etc.
Today he is an integrated part of the Chicago music scene performing with different groups as sideman and leader. He leads the Thomas Gunther Trio Plus, and toured Germany with the Thomas Gunther’s Taste Of Chicago Band.  He has produced, arranged, and recorded lots of music as a leader and sideman. He also offers music arranging and orchestration services for groups of all sizes, including the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. Thomas currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College Chicago. Find out more about Thomas at https://www.ThomasGunther.com