What is a chord?

What is a chord?

• A. Three or more pitches sounding at the same time
• B. Two pitches sounded sequentially
• C. A single pitch sustained
• D. A group of notes within one scale

Answer: (A)

Chords are vertical harmony: three or more distinct pitches sounding at the same time. When notes stack together, they create a harmony that underpins the melody, with the most common basic form being a triad like C–E–G. If you only hear two notes at once, that’s an interval or dyad, not a full chord. A single pitched note, even held, isn’t a chord either. A set of notes from a scale might describe a scale fragment or an arpeggio when played in sequence, but until they’re heard together, they don’t form a chord. So the defining idea is three or more pitches sounding together.

Chords are vertical harmony: three or more distinct pitches sounding at the same time. When notes stack together, they create a harmony that underpins the melody, with the most common basic form being a triad like C–E–G. If you only hear two notes at once, that’s an interval or dyad, not a full chord. A single pitched note, even held, isn’t a chord either. A set of notes from a scale might describe a scale fragment or an arpeggio when played in sequence, but until they’re heard together, they don’t form a chord. So the defining idea is three or more pitches sounding together.