Which term describes playing the tones of a chord in rapid succession?

Which term describes playing the tones of a chord in rapid succession?

• A. Bar line
• B. Arpeggio
• C. Arco
• D. Beat

Answer: (B)

Arpeggio describes playing the tones of a chord in rapid succession. Instead of striking all the notes together, you roll through the chord tones quickly, often from low to high, which outlines the harmony with a flowing motion. In strings, arco means to play with the bow, which is a playing instruction rather than the technique of distributing a chord’s notes. A bar line marks measure boundaries, and a beat is the basic pulse of the music, neither of which conveys the idea of breaking a chord apart into a quick sequence.

Arpeggio describes playing the tones of a chord in rapid succession. Instead of striking all the notes together, you roll through the chord tones quickly, often from low to high, which outlines the harmony with a flowing motion. In strings, arco means to play with the bow, which is a playing instruction rather than the technique of distributing a chord’s notes. A bar line marks measure boundaries, and a beat is the basic pulse of the music, neither of which conveys the idea of breaking a chord apart into a quick sequence.