Help writing in broken chords

[hey, you're not cory!]

So I've been trying to write more songs on the piano lately, but I've noticed that lot of, if not almost all, artists tend to use broken chords when writing on a piano. I, for some reason, have a lot of trouble doing that and was wondering if you guys had any tips or tricks to help with writing in broken chords. I totally understand why one would use broken chords, but can't seem to figure out how to properly do it myself.

[wartree]

Yes i am not cory, i dont know **** about broken chords

[PillarFreak]

What exactly is a "broken" chord? Is that another way of saying an incomplete chord?

[hey, you're not cory!]

Like, it's extremely common if you read any piano sheet music or just watch anybody play a piano. Even when a song sounds like they're just playing a chord, they're actually playing a "broken" chord, meaning they're playing that chord but with an odd notation. Coldplay's "The Scientist" is an example of this.

[Amit]

you mean arpeggio?

[mutant!]

Like, it's extremely common if you read any piano sheet music or just watch anybody play a piano. Even when a song sounds like they're just playing a chord, they're actually playing a "broken" chord, meaning they're playing that chord but with an odd notation. Coldplay's "The Scientist" is an example of this.
ok wtf are you on about

"broken chord" is a synonym for "arpeggio"

which is quite obviously not what you're talking about

"but with an odd notation"?

:confused:

[Chameleon]

Some people consider a broken chord and an arpeggio the same thing, but in sheet music at least, a broken chord is where instead of playing all the chord tones at the same time, you start at the bottom and pile each note on top quite quickly, to create a more ornate sound. (or vice versa, starting at the top)

[mutant!]

Some people consider a broken chord and an arpeggio the same thing, but in sheet music at least, a broken chord is where instead of playing all the chord tones at the same time, you start at the bottom and pile each note on top quite quickly, to create a more ornate sound. (or vice versa, starting at the top)
what you describe there is an arpeggio. an arpeggio is a chord that is "broken" in the sense that the notes are played in succession rather than simultaneously.

[what]

In a broken chord there is a chord in it's litteral sense, and it is regarded as one unit. Where as in arpeggio the notes are played sepparately in a succesion where each note is regarded as one unit.

I don't really understand the question. Do you have trouble playing broken chords, or have trouble notating them?

[PillarFreak]

So a broken chord is faster than an arpeggio but not simultaneous like a normal chord.
It's somewhere in between? It's just a real fast progression through the notes of a chord that is still regarded as one unit?

[mutant!]

In a broken chord there is a chord in it's litteral sense, and it is regarded as one unit. Where as in arpeggio the notes are played sepparately in a succesion where each note is regarded as one unit.

I don't really understand the question. Do you have trouble playing broken chords, or have trouble notating them?
i'm not sure how true that is. any substantial references?

[wartree]

I saw a video in youtube about that, I dont remember if it were broken chords, but was like appregio, but with floreado

[what]

What makes you wonder?

Obviously an arpeggio belongs to one harmony, so if you look at it without figurations and just from the point of view of harmony, then it doesn't matter whether it is an areggio or a chord. But from the view of texture a chord is one unit, and a each note in an arpeggio is one unit.

[mutant!]

oh, alright, i see what you mean. this is somewhat of a revelation for me.

edit; okay but wait, does that actually make a difference to anything? also, couldn't some arpeggios also be interpreted as broken chords (and vice versa)?

[EADGC]

ts are you sure you're not thinking of inversions?

[Det_Nosnip]

Yeah, I think that's exactly what he means.

Practice all of the basic chord inversions and get used to hearing what they sound like. Take any given chord progression (say, I/IV/V), and experiment with different inversions. Study some of the music that you like and find out what it is about a particular chord formation that is appealing to you, and then find ways of reproducing the idea in new and different ways.

You may want to look at some basic chord voicing theory too...http://www.musictheory.net

[aria]

um without reading the thread too closely i think its obvious hes talking about arpeggios

[Surtr]

He's either talking about..Dividing a chord among multiple instruments.

Ie. Trombone takes the root, Sax the 3rd and Trumpet the 5th. Or something of the sort.

Or, he's talking about an arpeggio more or less.

Or maybe just inversions and all that on chords.

Also yeah, musictheory.net is a decent site, I've been shown it before by my theory teacher and all that and he said its pretty good.

[Det_Nosnip]

I guess he could be talking about Arpeggios...