CHORD. kind (from Lat. cho•da, Gk. xop4, chordi7., string of a musical instrument). A com bination of two or more musical tones of dif ferent pitch, sounded simultaneously. in har mony, however, a chord must have at least three tones. All chords, when in their original posi tions, are seen to be made up of a series of dia tonic thirds, erected above a fundamental tone or root. The common chord or triad is the basis of all harmony. and consists of a bass or fundamental tone, with its third and fifth above.
A chord of the ninth is a five-tone chord, formed by adding another third to a dominant seventh chord. A chord is said to be in its fundamental position \\lien its root note is the lowest tone. An inrerted chord is one whose position has been changed by setting its lowest tone an octave higher. Then the inverted chord may be again subjected to the process of inver sion. Tt is evident that a chord has as many inversions as it contains intervals—i.e. a triad has two, a seventh has three. and a ninth has four inversions. This change of position makes a great difference in the effect of the chord, and entirely alters its harmonic 'value': vet it is only the bass note that determines the The notes above it may be arranged ill any order without affecting its character.
A major triad has a major third and perfect fifth. A minor triad has a minor third and per feet fifth, and a diminished triad has a minor third and diminished fifth.
(`lords of the serenth are four-note chords with the highest note an interval of a seventh above the bass note. There are major, minor, dominant,
and diminished chords of the seventh. A major serenth chord has a major third, perfeet fifth, and major seventh. A minor scrrn ill chord is a minor triad with a minor seventh added. The dominant seventh chord, the most important and frequently used of the seventh chords, is erected upon the dominant (fifth degree) of hoth major and minor modes, and contains a major triad with a minor seventh. A diminished chord contains a diminished triad and a dimin ished seventh, sod occurs only upon the seventh degree of the minor mode.
While chords in their primary form contain (illy thirds, it will he seen that by inversion. or by doubling one or mine of the notes, other intervals are formed. Consonant chords are the triads and their inversions. All others are dissonant chords, containing one or more dis sonant intervals, and require to be resolved into consonant chords to attain a point of repose. See CONSONANCE; DISSONANCE.
Broken chords are those which are separated SO that the notes are played successively instead of simultaneously. The subject of chords, their treatment, and their figuration, is treated fully in any text-book on harmony: also, and with admirable clearness, in Lavig,nac, and usieians (New York, 1S9(1).