Rolled Chord (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. A rolled chord, arppeggiato, or arpeggiated chord, is a sequence of notes played almost at the same time like strumming a chord on a guitar. They are mostly seen on piano, producing a harp-like effect. When a chord is too large for a pianists hand, the chord is expected to be rolled. An arpeggiated chord can be quite difficult to execute especially if spanning more than two octaves. Rolled chords are seen quite frequently in 20th century classical music. Arpeggiated chords can be rolled downward as well, notated by an arrow at the bottom of the wavy line. This however is comparatively rare.As a generalization, the "rolled chord" symbol indicates a rapid succession of the tones. The rapidity would vary according to the tempo and the desired effect.