Arpeggios
An arpeggio is a chord which is played or sung one note at a time. As it is not possible to play two notes simultaneously on the trumpet, playing an arpeggio is the only way a trumpet player can play a chord. The example below shows the arpeggios of G and C major played both ascending and descending. It is also possible to play arpeggios of any other type of chord, e.g. minor arpeggios, seventh arpeggios, diminished arpeggios, etc. Arpeggios are often used in song melodies. The reason they work so well is that they fit perfectly with any accompanying chord because both the melody and chords contain exactly the same notes. Listen to the following example on the melody and chords contain exactly the same notes. Listen to the following example on the CD to hear how weel the arpeggios fit with the accompaniment. If you look at the song Lavender's Blue from the previous lesson, you will notice that it begins with an arpeggio.
Since a chord can be built on any note of a scale, an arpeggio can also be played on any note of the scale. Depending one chord type (e.g. major or minor) the type or arpeggio will vary from one scale degree to the next. The following example demonstrates arpeggios derived from all the degrees of a G major scale.
Here are some arpeggios in the key of C major. The chord symbols above the music will tell you the name of each one.
Most melodies use a combination of scales and arpeggios. The following example moves through the key of C major using both arpeggios and short scale runs which start of the root of each chord and finish one the fifth of that chord. Once you have learned this in C major, practice it in G major as well. The more familiar you are with scales and arpeggios within a key, the easier you will be able to learn new pieces in that key and also to transpose music to that key.
