Arpeggio
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In music, an arpeggio is a group of notes which are played one after the other, either going up or going down. 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 similar to a broken chord, but a broken chord keeps rising in groups of three or four notes, each group starting a little higher.
People who learn 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. Harps very often play arpeggiated chords. In piano music they are quite often used. An arpeggiated chord is written with a wiggly line going from top to bottom in front of the chord. An arpeggiated chord is spread from the lowest to the highest note. Occasionally composers such as Béla Bartók ask for them to be played from top to bottom. This is shown by adding an arrow pointing down.
