An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time. The notes run up or down in order, where a chord would sound them all at once. The word comes from the Italian word for harp, since harpists play chords this way.
From a chord to an arpeggio
A chord is three or more notes that sound together. The simplest kind has three notes and is called a triad. Read chords explained for kids.
| What you play | |
|---|---|
| The C major chord | C, E, and G together |
| The C major arpeggio | C, then E, then G, then the next C, and back down |
An arpeggio keeps going past one octave. The player climbs C, E, G, C, E, G, C and comes back down.
How to say it
Say “ar-PEJ-ee-oh.”
Arpeggio or broken chord?
The two words overlap. In everyday talk, a broken chord is any chord played one note at a time, so an arpeggio is a kind of broken chord.
In exam books, the words mean two different exercises. A broken chord stays in one hand position and moves through the shapes of the chord. An arpeggio sweeps up and down for an octave or more, and the hand has to shift. Students learn broken chords first and arpeggios later.
How to play one on the piano
For C major, with the right hand going up one octave:
| Note | C | E | G | C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finger | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
To go further, the thumb tucks under after G and starts again on the next C. That tuck is the hard part. Teachers ask for slow practice with a loose wrist.
Exam boards ask for arpeggios beside scales. Read RCM piano technical requirements by level and how to practice scales with kids.
A sign that means “roll it”
A wavy line in front of a chord tells the player to roll it. The notes are played in quick order from the bottom to the top, and all of them are held. Harpists and pianists do this often.
Arpeggios in real music
Prelude in C major, by Bach. The whole piece is broken chords. It has no tune at all.
The “Moonlight” Sonata, by Beethoven. In the first movement, the right hand rolls three notes of a chord, over and over, under a slow tune.
Für Elise, by Beethoven. The left hand answers the tune with three rising notes of a chord.
“The Swan,” by Saint-Saëns. Two pianos ripple in arpeggios under the cello. Read The Swan for kids.
A pattern with a name. In many piano pieces by Mozart, the left hand plays the notes of a chord in the order low, high, middle, high. This pattern is called an Alberti bass, after a composer who used it a great deal.
On other instruments
- Harp: arpeggios are the harp’s home ground. Read the harp for kids.
- Guitar: a player who picks the strings of a chord one by one is playing an arpeggio.
- Violin and cello: an arpeggio often crosses from string to string.
- Voice: singers warm up on arpeggios, with the notes do, mi, sol, mi, do. Read choir warm-ups for kids.
Things to do together
Chord, then arpeggio. Play C, E, and G together. Then play them one at a time. Ask which one sounds like a harp.
Up the keyboard. Play C, E, G, C, E, G all the way up the piano with one finger. Sing “do, mi, sol” along with it.
Spot the arpeggio. Play the Bach prelude. Trace the rise of each broken chord in the air with a finger.
Minor arpeggio. Change every E to E flat. The arpeggio turns sad.
Print and play
Print the piano keyboard chart. For scales, read major and minor scales explained for kids. For more music words, read music words for parents.
More from this guide
This article is part of Music theory for parents: what your child is learning and how to help.
6/8 time explained for kids and parents
6/8 time explained for kids and parents: six eighth notes in a bar, felt as two beats, how it differs from 3/4, and songs and pieces to count.
Alto clef and tenor clef explained for kids
Alto clef and tenor clef explained for kids and parents: where middle C sits, the notes on the lines and spaces, who reads each clef, and games.
Beat and rhythm: the difference explained for kids
Beat and rhythm explained for kids: the beat is the steady pulse, the rhythm is the pattern on top, with a two-minute test and games to feel both.
Chords explained for kids: what a triad is
Chords explained for kids: what a triad is, how major and minor chords differ, the three chords that fit most simple songs, and games for the piano.
Common time and cut time explained for kids
Common time and cut time explained for kids: what the C and the C with a line mean, where the signs came from, how to count each, and music to hear.
Dances in classical music: waltz, minuet, march, and more
Dances in classical music explained for kids: the waltz, the minuet, the march, the polka, and ten more, with the beat of each and a piece to hear.
Use it with your kids
Print a listening page, a practice chart, or a composer fact sheet. Or try a tool, such as the composer timeline or the piece picker.