electro-music.com   Dedicated to experimental electro-acoustic
and electronic music
 
    Front Page  |  Radio
 |  Media  |  Forum  |  Wiki  |  Links
Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
 FAQFAQ   CalendarCalendar   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   LinksLinks
 RegisterRegister   ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in  Chat RoomChat Room 
 Forum index » Discussion » Composition
What is an arpeggio?
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: elektro80
Page 1 of 1 [18 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
Author Message
Inventor
Stream Operator


Joined: Oct 13, 2007
Posts: 6221
Location: near Austin, Tx, USA
Audio files: 267

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:07 am    Post subject: What is an arpeggio?
Subject description: In simple terms...
Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Hi, I've heard this term "arpeggio" mentioned several times, yet due to my lack of formal music training, I have no idea what it means. It sounds like a good name for a spaghetti sauce, though I'm not quite sure how much music can be made with spaghetti sauce. Please enlighten me! Razz

Les
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Wout Blommers



Joined: Sep 07, 2003
Posts: 4529
Location: The Hague - The Netherlands
Audio files: 123
G2 patch files: 12

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

It means 'To be played like the Harp'.
You know, with your thump gliding over all the strings in reach.
A harp can be tuned in a chord, so it could also mean playing all notes of a chord in a certain way.

On a guitar it is performed the same way: playing a chord gently with a slow stroke, mostly down.
Playing chords on a guitar is in fact a six note very fast played arpeggio, unless you plugg the strings by the fingers of the playing hand.

Wout
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Inventor
Stream Operator


Joined: Oct 13, 2007
Posts: 6221
Location: near Austin, Tx, USA
Audio files: 267

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 3:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

cool, ty Wout!

Les
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
seraph
Editor
Editor


Joined: Jun 21, 2003
Posts: 12398
Location: Firenze, Italy
Audio files: 33
G2 patch files: 2

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 5:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

arrow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arpeggio

Wink

_________________
homepage - blog - forum - youtube

Quote:
Don't die with your music still in you - Wayne Dyer
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Antimon



Joined: Jan 18, 2005
Posts: 4145
Location: Sweden
Audio files: 371
G2 patch files: 100

PostPosted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

You were actually doing a school-book example of an arpeggio when you learned finger-picking and played the guitar like that on your shows way back. One example of an arpeggio is taking the notes from a chord and playing them in succession over and over.

/Stefan

_________________
Antimon's Window
@soundcloud @Flattr home - you can't explain music
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
D.Miñoza
Stream Operator


Joined: Jun 15, 2009
Posts: 376
Location: CowTown, USA
Audio files: 31

PostPosted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 1:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

1,3,5,1(octave) patterns..also slight variations….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2_Fbo3F928

For different flavored answer… these notes are the DRONE in Indian Classical Music. This pattern of notes (1,3,5,11 or 1,5,1,1) when played as a drone are the foundation of the oldest form of ICM (Dhrupad) which is a musical tradition that dates back to the first millennium BC. Probably the oldest “ambient music.”

Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Pp9jLhBrI
The guys in the back are playing Arpeggios!

This drone concept is ancient and to me fascinating.

The notes of the raga play tension and resolve off of these drone patterns.
(from there we’re talking about micro-tones and even Just Intonation)

So I just wanted to say there is a lot going on with these arpeggios...from ancient drones to Bach…to Charlie Parker riffs……….

Btw- Les…the alien song -Close Encounters.. is a 2, 3, 1, 1(dropped octave), 5 drone
-or- Re,Me,Do,do,So Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Acoustic Interloper



Joined: Jul 07, 2007
Posts: 2067
Location: Berks County, PA
Audio files: 89

PostPosted: Tue Feb 09, 2010 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Three-finger banjo picking is mostly arpeggiation, although not slow in most cases. And the chord notes are not necessarily played in a fixed sequence, and they often have melody notes, pedals points (drones) and chromatic notes (out-of-key passing tones) sprinkled in for seasoning.

They don't call 'em breakdowns for nothing!

_________________
When the stream is deep
my wild little dog frolics,
when shallow, she drinks.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Wout Blommers



Joined: Sep 07, 2003
Posts: 4529
Location: The Hague - The Netherlands
Audio files: 123
G2 patch files: 12

PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thanks for posting, but I like this one the best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NIlQXyuw-I&NR=1

Wout
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
v-un-v
Janitor
Janitor


Joined: May 16, 2005
Posts: 8933
Location: Birmingham, England, UK
Audio files: 11
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 4:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Here's a very good example! (one of my all time fave µ-Ziq tracks too!!)



PS- Hi Wout! Welcome home! Very Happy

Tom

_________________
ACHTUNG!
ALLES TURISTEN UND NONTEKNISCHEN LOOKENPEEPERS!
DAS KOMPUTERMASCHINE IST NICHT FÜR DER GEFINGERPOKEN UND MITTENGRABEN! ODERWISE IST EASY TO SCHNAPPEN DER SPRINGENWERK, BLOWENFUSEN UND POPPENCORKEN MIT SPITZENSPARKSEN.
IST NICHT FÜR GEWERKEN BEI DUMMKOPFEN. DER RUBBERNECKEN SIGHTSEEREN KEEPEN DAS COTTONPICKEN HÄNDER IN DAS POCKETS MUSS.
ZO RELAXEN UND WATSCHEN DER BLINKENLICHTEN.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Oli_lar



Joined: Mar 17, 2010
Posts: 2
Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 3:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

I get what an arpeggio is, but is that what arpeggiators on synths do then? They're something I've never really looked at, to be honest.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GovernorSilver



Joined: Apr 26, 2004
Posts: 1349
Location: Washington DC Metro
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Oli_lar wrote:
I get what an arpeggio is, but is that what arpeggiators on synths do then? They're something I've never really looked at, to be honest.


Synth arpeggiators just play arpeggios, but in preprogrammed patterns.

_________________
Current and recent work on Soundcloud

Some old stuff on VIRB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
GovernorSilver



Joined: Apr 26, 2004
Posts: 1349
Location: Washington DC Metro
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Oli_lar wrote:
I get what an arpeggio is, but is that what arpeggiators on synths do then? They're something I've never really looked at, to be honest.


Synth arpeggiators just play arpeggios based on the chord you are holding down, but in preprogrammed patterns.

_________________
Current and recent work on Soundcloud

Some old stuff on VIRB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Oli_lar



Joined: Mar 17, 2010
Posts: 2
Location: UK

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 10:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Thought as much! Cheers
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nobody



Joined: Mar 09, 2008
Posts: 1687
Location: Not here

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Arpeggios on synths are pretty much programmed sequences that depend on which keys you press and when you press them in relation to other keys. On some synths, this is so highly programmable that you can essentially turn one key stroke into a fairly good sequenced repeating mini-performance.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
GovernorSilver



Joined: Apr 26, 2004
Posts: 1349
Location: Washington DC Metro
G2 patch files: 1

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Strange, not only did the forum register a double post from me, but it omitted the rest of my post.

As stated previously, an arpeggio is simply a chord played one note at a time, instead of all at once. A synth arpeggiator will automatically play an arpeggio based on the chord your are holding - you are typically given a choice of patterns, tempo, etc. You might even be able to program your own patterns, depending on the synth.

MIDI makes arpeggiators more interesting than normal. As far as MIDI is concerned, a MIDI "note" can be any sound, it does not have to be a pitched sound. It could be a kick drum, a cymbal, a sample of twittering birds, a sample of a cat reacting to someone stepping on her tail, etc. So a synth arpeggiator could be used to play these samples in succession, to the pattern you chose for it. A typical application in this case is to have the arpeggiator play a drum part.

_________________
Current and recent work on Soundcloud

Some old stuff on VIRB
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
nobody



Joined: Mar 09, 2008
Posts: 1687
Location: Not here

PostPosted: Fri Mar 19, 2010 12:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Isn't an arpeggio that thing that goes "da da da DA de dum de da"? Razz
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Sam_Zen



Joined: Mar 08, 2008
Posts: 251
Location: NL

PostPosted: Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

Nice Raga and Aristocats tubes ..

As far as 'soft' arpeggio is concerned :

AnalogX made an Arpeggiator as a DirectX plugin.
And with the Tracker Module technique there are codes to make an arpeggio by adding x nr of semitones plus y nr of semitones to the original.

_________________
0.618033988
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
telstarmagikistferrari



Joined: Jun 16, 2008
Posts: 280
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Audio files: 43

PostPosted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 12:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote  Mark this post and the followings unread

interesting idea, GovernorSilver.. I think I'll investigate that further. Somehow I've never considered using that technique.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website Yahoo Messenger
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic Moderators: elektro80
Page 1 of 1 [18 Posts]
View unread posts
View new posts in the last week
Mark the topic unread :: View previous topic :: View next topic
 Forum index » Discussion » Composition
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum


Forum with support of Syndicator RSS
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
Copyright © 2003 through 2009 by electro-music.com - Conditions Of Use