noun
arpeggio
ar-PEJ-ee-oh/ɑːrˈpedʒiəʊ/
A chord whose notes are sounded one after another.
The harpist plays an arpeggio, plucking the chord's strings one after another.
Etymology
Italian arpeggio literally meant “harping,” from a verb meaning “to play the harp.” The musical term applies that image to a chord whose notes sound one after another rather than together.
In context
It's an-- Student: Arpeggio. Prof: Arpeggio. Yes, it is, but it's an arpeggio of what? > > It's a triad, just a minor triad.
More examples
- She practices rising and falling arpeggios.
- A gentle arpeggio accompanies the opening melody.
- He spreads the chord into a slow arpeggio.
Forms
arpeggio · arpeggios
Similar words
- chord
- Its notes may sound together rather than in sequence.
- scale
- A sequence of pitches, not necessarily the notes of one chord.