start/end pitch order for arpeggios and non-arpeggios

[rpatters1]

In general the specs are pretty clear for arpeggios/non-arpeggios provided it is a keyboard instrument. However for stringed instruments and harp, arpeggiation is across strings (up or down) and may not occur in ascending pitch or descending pitch order. It seems like we need clarification around this in the spec.

[adrianholovaty]

Thanks for the thoughts. In that situation, would there be anything different notated, or would it look exactly the same as a keyboard arpeggio marking?

I'm a guitarist myself and haven't come across an arpeggio marking that doesn't literally mean "arpeggiate in the order of the notes/strings." A nonstandard tuning could result in a situation where strumming the strings in order doesn't result in strumming the pitches in order, but I haven't see this situation come up in notation.

If you have any specific suggestions on how to change the documentation wording, let me know — happy to tweak as needed.

[rpatters1]

I don't suppose the notation would be different. It's just that if, for example, you are up in 4th position on a violin or cello and leave one of the strings open, the arpeggio still goes in order of strings even if, e.g., the lowest string sounds higher than the 2nd lowest (because of hand position).

It doesn't matter for notation, but it might matter when implementing playback inside a computer. That's why I think some language clarification might be in order, but not a change in the spec.