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

• 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

See Examples For:

tetrachord

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

Like the Latin color, χρῶμα was often used of ornaments and embellishments, and particularly of the modification of the three genera of the tetrachord.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

It will be noted that the first four tones are alike in all three forms; i.e., the lower tetrachord in the minor scale is invariable no matter, what may happen to the upper tetrachord.

From Music Notation and Terminology by Gehrkens, Karl Wilson

By taking the lowest note of the Mixolydian, B, and forming a Dorian tetrachord on it, B C D E were acquired.

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