Arpeggios vs. Block Chords
The exact same notes can sound like a solid wall or a flowing melody — the only difference is whether you play them together or one at a time.
Block chords: all at once
A block chord sounds every note of the chord at the same moment — a single, solid stack of pitches. It's direct, punchy, and instantly establishes the harmony, which is why block chords show up constantly in piano comping, band hits, and full-ensemble arrangements.
Arpeggios: one at a time
An arpeggio — literally a "broken chord" — plays the same set of notes one after another instead of together. Nothing about the harmony changes; only the rhythm does. Arpeggios turn a static chord into a moving line, which is exactly why they're everywhere: classical Alberti bass accompaniment patterns, melodic figuration in solos, and the fingerpicking patterns guitarists use to accompany a song.
Common questions
What is a block chord?
A chord where all the notes sound together at the same moment, as a single unified stack.
What is an arpeggio?
The same chord tones played one after another instead of all at once — a "broken chord." Only the timing changes.
What is Alberti bass?
A classical accompaniment pattern that arpeggiates a chord in a repeating low-high-middle-high shape, named after composer Domenico Alberti.
Where else are arpeggios used?
Guitar fingerpicking, piano accompaniment figures, melodic solo figuration, and broken-chord bass lines.
Play it both ways
Melody Monkey's Songwriting Studio lets you switch any chord between block and arpeggiated playback.
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