The notes of a chord played one after another rather than all at once.
An arpeggio is a chord whose notes are played in sequence, one after another, instead of all together — sometimes described as a 'broken chord'. Playing the notes C, E and G in quick succession is an arpeggiated C major chord. Arpeggios are everywhere in music: in flowing piano accompaniments, in fingerpicked guitar patterns, in shimmering synth lines, and in lead solos where they let a player outline a chord melodically. In electronic music, an 'arpeggiator' is a tool that automatically turns a held chord into a rhythmic arpeggio. Practising arpeggios builds technique and trains the ear to hear the notes that make up each chord.
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