tetrachord

American  

[te-truh-kawrd] / ˈtɛ trəˌkɔrd /

noun

Music.

1. a diatonic series of four tones, the first and last separated by a perfect fourth.

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tetrachord British  

/ ˈtɛtrəˌkɔːd /

noun

1. (in musical theory, esp of classical Greece) any of several groups of four notes in descending order, in which the first and last notes form a perfect fourth

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tetrachordal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of tetrachord

First recorded in 1595–1605, tetrachord is from the Greek word tetráchordos having four strings. See tetra-, chord ¹

Example Sentences

That’s true even during the exposition’s most hot-to-the-touch passage, a high-flown tetrachord of B, F sharp, F and E that emerges in the 16th minute.

From New York Times • Mar. 24, 2022

It is more difficult to be certain of the exact tuning of each note within a tetrachord.

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

With this as a measure he attempted to place the tones of the tetrachord, or Greek scale of four tones, which was the unit of their tonal system.

From A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present by Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock)

As yet, however, this scale allowed of no transposition of a mode to another pitch; in order to accomplish this the second tetrachord was used as the first of another similar system.

From Critical and Historical Essays Lectures delivered at Columbia University by Baltzell, W. J. (Winton James)

The outside tones of the tetrachord remained fixed upon the lyre, but the two middle ones were varied for the purpose of modulation.

From A Popular History of the Art of Music From the Earliest Times Until the Present by Mathews, W. S. B. (William Smythe Babcock)