Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

Get access

Chord
(1,034 words)

The term chord derives from the Middle English accord and has two related semantic fields in music theory: an older, more general one and a later, more specific one. In both, there is a connection with making music with instruments, for chord ultimately derives from the Middle Latin chorda (“cord,” “string”).

The earlier terminological tradition refers to the practice of tuning musical instruments. Instruments, by this process, are brought into “accord.” Chord also denotes the result of a simultaneous playing of “tuned” instruments. Although a single v…

Cite this page
Küster, Konrad, “Chord”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_016676>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20160907



▲   Back to top   ▲