Rock & Roll 101 > Definitions

Musical Definitions

Broken Chord
A chord where the notes are not played all at once but rather separated.
Chord / Chords
The sound of three or more notes being played together. There is some debate over whether two notes played together could be a chord. Some dictionaries will say it is, others that only three notes together is a chord.
Chord progression
a series of chords played one after another
Chord shapes
The diagrams often shown above the staff which give the fingering for chords on the guitar, piano, organ, and other instruments.
Nonchord tone
See escape note.
Tetrachord
The difference in sound between a tone and a semitone is vitally important in music. A good way to practise hearing the difference is to begin on the A above middle C and then sing or play a whole tone down to G, another whole tone down to F and a semitone down to E. This pattern is called a tetrachord. The same pattern of two descending tones followed by a semitone can be begun on E, going down to B.