Answer:
arpeggios are broken scales formulated in such a way that the player will learn the scales quickly and be able to learn songs quicker
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Eh... no. The above answer is pretty much wrong.
An arpeggio is simply a series of notes from a chord that are played note-by-note, instead of being played all at once.
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Sorry, guy above me, but you are wrong in a way too.
Arpeggios can also be every other note of a scale played. For example:
Take the C Mixolydian 2 octave scale for example, play it, now play every other note of it. You have the C mixolydian 2 octave ARPEGGIO!!!
Heres the C mixolydian 2 octave scale in tab:
|---------------------------------------------------------|
|-------------------------------------------10-11-13--|
|Start--------------------------9-10-12---------------|
|-||---------------7-8-10-12--------------------------|
|-V------7-8-10----------------------------------------|
|-8-10--------------------------------------------------|
Heres the C mixolydian 2 octvar ARPEGGIO!
|--------------------------------------|
|---------------------------------11--|
|Start------------------9--12-------|
|-||-------------8--10---------------|
|-V----7--10------------------------|
|-8-----------------------------------|