Arpeggio
In an arpeggio the notes of a chord do not sound together but quickly one after another, usually from bottom to top. It is notated with a vertical wavy line before the chord. On keyboard instruments it is also called a “rolled chord”.
- Sign
- vertical wavy line before the chord
- Direction
- usually from bottom to top, arrow pointing down for the opposite direction
- Also
- broken chord as an accompaniment figure
- Related
- chord
The broken chord
The Italian “arpeggiare” means “to play on the harp”. In an arpeggio the notes of a chord sound in quick succession instead of being struck together. The notes stay on until the chord is complete; the result is a single chord, spread from bottom to top. On keyboard instruments this is also called a “rolled chord”.
Arpeggio on triads (C major, F major; treble clef)
The wavy line to the left of the chord shows that the notes are struck one after another from bottom to top and all held to the end.
Arpeggio in the bass clef
In the bass too the chord builds up from bottom to top. The lowest note enters first.
The sign
An arpeggio is marked by a vertical wavy line to the left in front of the chord. It extends from the lowest to the highest note. If you play in the opposite direction, from top to bottom, an arrow pointing down is added. If the line runs across both staves of the piano, the arpeggio begins in the lowest voice of the left hand and runs without interruption to the highest of the right.
Arpeggio and accompaniment figure
The word is also used in a wider sense: when the notes of a chord are played one after another as an accompaniment figure, for instance in guitar accompaniment, this too is called an arpeggio or broken chord. Then the notes are written out individually, without a wavy line. The wavy line, by contrast, means the quick fanning out of a single chord.
Common mistakes
- Releasing the notes while spreading the chord: In an arpeggio they keep sounding together.
- Arpeggiating too slowly: Then it turns into an accompaniment figure and the chord falls apart.
- Striking all notes at the same time: Then you get a block chord, not an arpeggio.