Arpeggio
Music Theory
Playing the notes of a chord one at a time instead of all together.
An arpeggio (from Italian "arpeggiare," to play the harp) is when you play the individual notes of a chord in sequence rather than strumming them simultaneously. On ukulele, this means plucking strings one at a time in a pattern while holding a chord shape.
Arpeggios create a flowing, harp-like sound that works beautifully for ballads, fingerstyle arrangements, and intros. A simple arpeggio pattern might be plucking strings 4-3-2-1 (G-C-E-A) in order, then reversing.
Practicing arpeggios over different chord shapes trains your picking hand and helps you hear the individual notes within each chord — this deepens your understanding of harmony and improves your ability to play melodies within chords.
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