arpeggio

theoryar-PEJ-ee-ohfrom Italian

The notes of a chord played in sequence rather than simultaneously.

In Depth

An arpeggio breaks a chord into its individual notes, played one after another rather than all at once. The effect resembles a harp — in fact, the word comes from the Italian arpeggiare, meaning to play the harp. Arpeggios can ascend, descend, or follow more complex patterns. Arpeggios are fundamental to both composition and instrumental technique. Pianists practice arpeggios as a core part of their training, and guitarists use them constantly in both classical and popular music. In composition, arpeggiated accompaniment patterns like the Alberti bass create flowing textures beneath a melody.

Did you know?

Alberti bass — the broken-chord pattern named after Domenico Alberti — is so common in Classical piano music that it appears in nearly every Mozart sonata.

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