arpeggio
ar-PEH-jee-oh
/ɑːrˈpɛdʒioʊ/
The notes of a chord played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously.
An arpeggio is a 'broken chord' where the individual notes are sounded one after another, usually from lowest to highest, creating a fluid, sweeping effect.
The story behind the word. Arpeggio comes from the Italian 'arpeggiare,' which means 'to play on the harp.' This is derived from 'arpa' (harp). Literally, playing an arpeggio means playing any instrument 'harp-style' by sweeping through the notes of a chord.
Word relationships
- broken chord: Broken chord is a general term, while arpeggio is the formal Italian musical term that implies a specific, rapid, sweeping pattern.
Commonly confused with
- scale: A scale consists of consecutive notes in a key, while an arpeggio leaps between only the notes that make up a specific chord.
Word family
- arpeggiated (adjective): Played in the style of an arpeggio.
- arpeggiation (noun): The act or technique of playing arpeggios.
Collocations
- play an arpeggio
- rising arpeggio
- sweeping arpeggio
Example sentences
- "The pianist practiced a rapid arpeggio spanning three octaves." A piano exercise description.
Memory hook
Think of a harp (arpa). When you play an arpeggio, you make a piano or guitar sound like a sweeping harp. Arpeggio is a harp-like sweep of a chord.
When not to use
Do not use arpeggio to describe a scale, which contains consecutive alphabetical notes rather than just the notes of a specific chord.
Fun facts
- Heavy metal guitarists in the 1980s popularized 'sweep picking,' a technique used to play incredibly fast arpeggios that mimic classical violin concertos.
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