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Music vocabulary · Music Theory and Harmony

Chord

Meaning in music, with examples

/kɔːrd/nounCore term

In music, chord means: Three or more different notes played or sung at the same time. Chords give a piece its harmony and are named after their root note and type, such as C major or A minor.

In Turkish: akor

How it is used

Guitarists, pianists and songwriters use it all the time. You play, strum, change or voice a chord; band members ask 'What are the chords?' and share chord charts. Chord symbols such as Am, G7 or Fmaj7 are read aloud as 'A minor', 'G seven', 'F major seven'.

Example sentences

  1. The song only uses four chords, so you can learn it in an afternoon.

  2. Can you send me the chords for the second song before rehearsal?

Common collocations

  • play a chord
  • chord change
  • chord chart
  • strum a chord
  • major chord
  • chord progressionA series of chords played one after another that forms the harmonic backbone of a song, often written with Roman numerals such as I–IV–V.
  • triadA three-note chord built from a root note plus the notes a third and a fifth above it. The four types are major, minor, diminished and augmented.
  • harmonyThe sound of different notes heard together, and the way chords are built and connected. It also means a second vocal line sung above or below the melody.
  • arpeggioThe notes of a chord played one after another, going up or down, instead of all at the same time.
  • keyThe group of notes and chords that a piece is mainly built on, centred on one home note. A song in the key of G major keeps returning to G as its point of rest.

More terms: Music Theory and Harmony

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