arpeggio
Americannoun
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the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession instead of simultaneously.
-
a chord thus sounded.
noun
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a chord whose notes are played in rapid succession rather than simultaneously
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an ascending and descending figuration used in practising the piano, voice, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of arpeggio
1735–45; < Italian: literally, a harping, noun derivative of arpeggi ( are ) to play on the harp (< Germanic; compare Old English hearpi ( g ) an to harp)
Explanation
An arpeggio is a series of increasing or decreasing notes played one after another, rather than all together as a chord. When musicians are first learning an instrument, they often practice arpeggios. String instruments commonly play arpeggios, especially violins and violas. You can also play an arpeggio on a banjo, bass guitar, or a keyboard instrument like a piano. It's also possible to sing an arpeggio, emphasizing each individual note. The word is Italian, from arpeggiare, "to play upon the harp," and ultimately from arpa, or "harp."
Vocabulary lists containing arpeggio
The Joy Luck Club
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Music - Middle School
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"Two Kinds" by Amy Tan
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Music journalist Kevin Ho has documented the city's music scene for years on his site Life in Arpeggio.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2023
That saw him through to day 49, when he was rescued by a Panamanian-flagged vessel, MV Arpeggio.
From The Guardian • Sep. 28, 2018
"If Amazon has a breakout hit, Hollywood will take them very seriously quickly," said Dave Davis, founder of Arpeggio Partners, a boutique investment bank focused on entertainment.
From Reuters • Mar. 3, 2013
Things shift with the arrival of a stripped-down, delicately lovely version of Arpeggio and the peerless Pyramid Song.
From The Guardian • Jun. 26, 2010
That evening, at the palace, when conversation began to languish, the Chevalier Arpeggio sat down to the piano, and the Countess Delia von Rosenthal sang an air out of the last new opera.
From Tales from Blackwood Volume 4 by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
