There’s a funny between the musicians in my family about breaking the chords. It was many years ago that my nephew, who was just a little kid, was playing on the piano after church. A lady told his dad, the pianist, to not let him bang on the piano, anymore–“He’ll break the chords!”
Just thought I’d share. JP
LOL, I dont break the chords, Just the notes
Dan
John,
I’ve heard of lost chords as in the old piano piece “The Lost Chord.” I’ve never heard of broken chords unless you want to call an arpeggio a broken chord! I’m sure that’s not what she meant! I wonder what she would have thought of some of the old Ragtime players who not only hammered out chords but also kicked the front of the piano to beat time! It’s a good thing that Mozart’s father wasn’t like that fearful woman and not let his child play on the piano. Think of all the music the world would have missed!
Best wishes, Tom
Speaking of arpeggios…
Arpeggios are broken chords, or notes played one after the other, instead of simultaneously. According to PDQ Bach, “Arpeggios are to be be played with a rolling action”. Back in Bach’s time, there was a certain organist who developed this rolling technique with his feet for arpeggios on the bass pedals . He was so accomplished at it that it became known as the “tootsie roll”. -JP
And keeping with punny music humor…
Everyone knows that music can be played with major or minor (and others) chords. Well, some percussion instruments are very important to a piece. Take tympani (kettle drums), for example. In one symphony the tympani played a major roll in the second movement. :roll: -JP