Chord
/kɔrd/
nounB1
Definition
A chord is when several musical notes are played together to make a sound that is pleasant or interesting. It is a basic part of music that helps create feelings and moods. Chords are used in many types of music to support melodies.
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See It in Action
A group of musical notes played together
- •The musician played a C major chord on the piano.
- •Guitarists often use chords to accompany singing.
- •The song starts with a soft chord that sets the mood.
A straight line connecting two points on a curve in math (less common meaning)
- •In geometry, a chord connects two points on a circle.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "chord" like "note" (A1 word), but instead of one sound, it's many sounds played together at once.
- ✓Picture a guitar player pressing several strings at the same time to make a full sound.
- ✓It's the feeling when music sounds rich and full, like in a song's background.
- ✓Sounds like "cord" → imagine a strong rope (cord) holding many strings together to make one big sound.
- ✓Think of a choir singing different notes together to create harmony.
- ✓NOT like "note" (a single sound), a chord is many notes combined.
- ✓NOT like "melody" (a series of single notes in order), a chord is many notes at the same time.
- ✓NOT like "beat" (rhythm), a chord is about the combination of sounds, not the timing.
Try Other Words
- •Harmony: the sound created by different notes played together (Use when focusing on the sound effect rather than the notes themselves)
- •Triad: a chord made of three notes (Use in music theory when specifying chord type)
- •Interval: the distance between two notes (Use when talking about the space between notes, not the chord itself)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "chord" is a single root word with no prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From Old English "cord" meaning "string, rope," later used for musical strings and notes played together
- •Historical development: The word evolved from meaning a string or rope to meaning the group of musical notes played on strings
- •Modern usage: Mostly used in music to describe groups of notes played together to create harmony
Reflect & Connect
•How do different chords change the feeling of a song or music piece?
•Can you think of a time when hearing a chord made you feel happy, sad, or excited?
Fill in the blanks
1.When a guitar player plays a chord, they press ___ strings at the same time.
2.A chord is different from a single note because it has ___ notes played together.
3.The word chord sounds like "cord," which helps us remember it is like a ___ holding notes together.
4.Chords create ___ in music, making songs sound richer and fuller.
5.A melody is a series of single notes, but a chord is many notes played ___.
6.In music, harmony is the feeling created by chords, but a chord is the actual ___ of notes.
7.When learning music, beginners often start by practicing simple ___ on the piano or guitar.