harpejji

English

Man playing a harpejji.

Etymology

Blend of harp +‎ arpeggio. Coined by American audio engineer Tim Meeks in 2007.

Pronunciation

• (General American) enPR: här-pĕʹjē, IPA^(key): /hɑrˈpɛ.d͡ʒi/
• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: här-pĕʹjē, IPA^(key): /hɑːˈpɛ.d͡ʒiː/
• Rhymes: -ɛdʒi

Noun

harpejji (plural harpejjis)

1. (music, neologism) An electrophonic string instrument.
   • 2015 March 30, Jon Bream, “Concert review: Stevie Wonder at Target Center: Just a wonderful performance”, in Star Tribune‎^[2], archived from the original on 2024-04-18:

     While playing the harpejji (a relatively new instrument that mashes up guitar and keyboard), he made a speech about equality and love and then sang Curtis Mayfield’s ”People Get Ready,“ segued into the instrumental lark “Tequila” and topped it off with a taste of Michael Jackson’s “The Way You Make Me Feel.”

   • 2022 June 7, Danny Freedman, “What it takes to invent a new musical instrument”, in The Washington Post‎^[3], archived from the original on 2024-04-05:

     The company has sold about 500 harpejjis since 2019, the same number sold in the previous 12 years combined — no doubt helped by ongoing exposure and public adoration from Wonder, as well as musicians like Harry Connick Jr., who played a harpejji at last year’s lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, […]

   • 2023 August 16, Alex Daniel, “‘If Stevie Wonder wants to play it, pay attention!’: how a bizarre new instrument found unusual success”, in The Guardian‎^[4], archived from the original on 2023-08-23:

     This was a turning point for Meeks, who has built and sold harpejjis from a workshop in Maryland since 2007. Initially, sales were slow. But a decade’s worth of harpejji performances by Wonder – plus support from Jacob Collier, Harry Connick Jr and jazz producer Cory Henry – have changed that.