Naming Chords

Do you know your major 6th from your minor 7th? Your tetrads from your triads? Joe Bennett explains the notes behind the jargon.

What’s a chord? Easy one, this – it’s two or more notes, played at the same time. Two notes together is called a diad, three notes a triad (playing four notes together is technically called a tetrad, but the only people ever to use this term are musicologists).

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 05
Filed under Ten Minute Masters

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