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chordal

American  
[kawr-dl] / ˈkɔr dl /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or resembling a chord.

  2. of or relating to music that is marked principally by vertical harmonic movement rather than by linear polyphony.


Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of chordal

First recorded in 1610–20; chord 2 + -al 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

His chordal shapes are different than mine but I’m following the rhythm to make sure I’m staying in the pocket.

From Los Angeles Times May 11, 2026

Not a lot, just some tweaking to make it a little more interesting in a chordal sense.

From Los Angeles Times May 26, 2022

“I’ve always just been drawn to melodies and chordal structures that were unexpected,” she said.

From New York Times Jan. 19, 2022

But for a beguiling four-note theme in the first movement and a handful of charitable segues into fleeting chordal consensus, there was plenty of current but not a lot of raft.

From Washington Post Nov. 12, 2021

It might be made up of rhythm only, or of a melody line with chordal accompaniment, or many interweaving melodies.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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