arpeggiating

Arpeggiating is the technique of playing the notes of a chord in sequence rather than simultaneously. By unfolding a chord in time, arpeggios create motion, sustain, and a sense of harmonic outline. The noun arpeggiation refers to the act or result of performing such a figure. The term arpeggio comes from the Italian arpeggiare, meaning "to play on a harp," with arpa meaning "harp." In notation, an arpeggiation is indicated by a vertical wavy line before a chord; composers may also annotate arpegg. or use the instruction "spread" or "rolled" chord.

Arpeggiation occurs across many instruments. On the piano, players roll a chord by playing its notes in rapid succession, sometimes across different hands and octaves. For guitarists, arpeggios are sequences of notes of a chord played in a broken-chord pattern along the strings, often using designated picking patterns. In orchestral string playing and keyboard music, arpeggios can be used to sustain harmony while accommodating melodic lines. In jazz and popular music, arpeggios outline chord changes or serve as the basis for improvised lines; extended and altered arpeggios (including seventh, ninth, eleventh chords) are common.

Variations include ascending and descending arpeggios and various rhythmic treatments. An arpeggiated accompaniment may be described as a "spread" chord, where the chord tones are heard one after another rather than simultaneously. Some songs employ automated arpeggiation via arpeggiators in synthesizers or digital audio workstations, generating repeating patterns in fixed order or randomized sequences considered "arpeggiated" parts.