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Right Hand Fills and Tricks On The Piano

Lisa Witt  /  Improvisation  /  UPDATED Jan 13, 2023

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If you are ready to take your chording to the next level, all you need are some right hand fills!

These fills, riffs, and runs will make you sound like a total pro. And they’re not difficult!

There are a few simple tricks that I use every single time I play. Let’s take a look at what they are.

The Sus Trill

This is where you take a simple sus chord and roll through it, sort of like a trill. For example, on the G chord, you play G-B-D as your notes. You can swap your 3rd for your 2nd and quickly roll back to resolve to the 3rd.

This means you are playing G-A-D before quickly resolving that A to a B to bring you back to your chord. This simple trick will give your chord that little something extra. You don’t want to use it with every single chord you play – just sometimes.

Think of it as a ‘spice’ and use it in moderation. In the video, I show you more ways to expand on this simple trill that will help you to use it to move between your chords.

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The Quick Chord Fill

For this right hand fill, you simply play the notes of the chord you are on in broken form between the beats as you transition between chords. This sounds best after the 2 or the 4 beat. Once again, you can see and hear this in the video lesson.

Travelling Hands

Finally, you can take a little run higher up on the keys using the 1-2-3-5 notes of the scale/chord you are playing. So if you are on A major, you could take your hands up an octave or two and play A-B-C#-E for a lovely little run that will transition you to the next chord or measure.

These right hand fills can work wonderfully on their own or combined. You may even find that they inspire you to come up with your own unique ways to approach your chords.

For a more in-depth look at some right hand fills and riffs, check out the training pack, Piano Riffs and Fills. This course will dive deep into fills and show you note-by-note how to play them.


Lisa Witt has been teaching piano for more than 20 years and in that time has helped hundreds of students learn to play the songs they love. Lisa received classical piano training through the Royal Conservatory of Music, but she has since embraced popular music and playing by ear in order to accompany herself and others. Learn more about Lisa.

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