Arpeggio

For other uses, see Arpeggio (disambiguation).

	Arpeggio/broken chord An easily recognizable Bach arpeggio
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Arpeggios open Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata and continue as accompaniment.

Play

An arpeggio (Italian: [arˈpeddʒo]) is a musical technique where notes in a chord are played or sung in sequence, one after the other, rather than ringing out simultaneously. This word comes from the Italian word "arpeggiare", which means "to play on a harp". An alternative translation of this term is "broken chord".

Arpeggios allow monophonic instruments to play chords and harmony and help create rhythmic interest.

Explanation

	Arpeggiated chord An arpeggiated chord
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An arpeggio is a group of notes which are played one after the other, added either going up or going down. Executing an arpeggio requires the player to play the sounds of a chord individually to differentiate the notes. The notes all belong to one chord. The chord may, for example, be a simple chord with the 1st, (major or minor) 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale in it (this is called a "tonic triad"). An arpeggio in the key of C major going up two octaves would be the notes (C, E, G, C, E, G, C)

An arpeggio is a type of broken chord. Other types of broken chords play chord notes out of sequence or more than one note but less than the full chord simultaneously. Arpeggios can rise or fall for more than one octave.

Students of musical instruments learn how to play scales and arpeggios. They are often a requirement for music examinations.

An "arpeggiated chord" means a chord which is "spread", i. e., the notes are not played at the same time, but are spread out. Arpeggiated chords are often used in harp and piano music. An arpeggiated chord may be written with a wavy vertical line in front of the chord. It is spread from the lowest to the highest note. Occasionally, composers such as Béla Bartók have asked for them to be played from top to bottom. This is shown by adding an arrow pointing down.

Instruments

Any instrument may employ arpeggiation, but the following instruments use arpeggios most often:

String instruments are used to play arpeggios in classical music. Along with scales, arpeggios are a form of basic technical exercise.
Bass guitarists often use arpeggios to play out chords.
Banjo players prevalently use arpeggios, which are especially apparent in the Scruggs style three-finger method of playing.
Guitarists use arpeggios extensively in certain genres, such as neo-classical, and often while employing the sweep-picking technique.
Synthesizers, especially monophonic ones such as the TB-303, are often called upon to play arpeggios, especially in electronica. Some synths contain arpeggiators especially for this purpose.
Keyboards, such as piano and accordions, are used to play arpeggios.

Arpeggios are an important part of the jazz vocabulary of many instruments, especially horns and keyboards.

In Western classical music, a chord that is played first with the lowest note and then with successive higher notes joining in is called arpeggiato. Sometimes this effect is reversed, with the highest note coming first. In some modern popular music arpeggiato is called a rolled chord.

In early video game music, arpeggios were often the only way to play a chord since sound hardware usually had a very limited number of oscillators, or voices. Instead of tying them all up to play one chord, one channel could be used to play an arpeggio, leaving the rest for drums, bass, or sound effects. Examples include the music of games and demos on Commodore 64's SID chip which only had three oscillators, see also Chiptune.

External links

Look up arpeggio in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Guitar picking

General	Alternate bass Arpeggio Fingerpick Guitar pick Hybrid picking Performance techniques Strum

Fingerstyle	Apoyando Carter Family picking Rasgueado Tirando Travis

Flatpicking	Alternate picking Crosspicking Downpicking Economy picking Guitar Craft Sweep picking

Innovators	Maybelle Carter Robert Fripp Merle Travis

Outline of guitars

Violin family

Instruments	Violin Viola Cello Double bass Violin range Kit violin Five string violin Violino piccolo Alto range Five string viola Vertical viola Viola pomposa Tenor range Tenor violin/Tenor viola Violotta Viola Profonda Cello range Five string cello Baritone violin Cello da spalla Cellone Violoncello piccolo Bass range Bass violin Violone Octobass

Parts	Bass bar Bow Bridge Chinrest Endpin F-hole Fingerboard Frog Scroll Shoulder rest Sound post Tailpiece Tuning peg

Techniques	Bowing Arco Col legno Down bow Up bow Martelé Portato Rosin Spiccato Tremolo Arpeggio Artificial harmonic Double stop Fingering Bariolage Pizzicato Scordatura Vibrato

Ensembles and genres	String quartet String trio String quintet String sextet String octet Violin concerto Viola concerto Cello concerto Double bass concerto Violin sonata Viola sonata Cello sonata Carnatic music

Other	Violin physics Violin history Stradivarius String section Violin lutherie Violin musical styles Violin octet

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Arpeggio

Explanation

Instruments

See also

Further reading

External links

	Sound sample with arpeggios A synthesized flute-like instrument and a harp playing various chords in arpeggio, joined later by strings playing the same notes simultaneously.
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