Arpeggio

ar·peg·gi·o

1. The sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession instead of simultaneously.
2. A chord thus sounded.



Provided by Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

In music, an arpeggio is Italian for broken chord where the notes 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". These are formed from scales, the arpeggio is based on the relative scale playing the "key" notes or those affected by the key signature.


Explanation
An arpeggiated chordAn arpeggio is a group of notes which are played one after the other, 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, 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale in it (this is called a 'tonic chord'). 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 exactly 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 squiggly 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."

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