Chord / Chords The sound of three or more notes being played together. There is some debate over whether two notes played together could be a chord. Some dictionaries will say it is, others that only three notes together is a chord.
Basso continuo (Italian) Also called 'continuo' or 'figured bass'. Basso continuo is a system for notating chords developed thorugh the 16th century and popular through the 17th century. Basso continuo is in many ways similar to modern chord notation, but there are also important differences. In basso continuo the bass line is notated in standard notation, while other chord notes might be indicated with numbers and other symbols below the bass note.
Cadence A group of chords that create a sense of resolution. A common example is the 'Amen' sung at the end of hymns in a church service. Examples of cadences are the authentic cadence, the half cadence, the plagal cadence, the interrupted cadence, the inverted cadence and the upper leading-tone cadence.
Chorale Originally, a hymn tune of the Lutheran Church characterized by blocked chords. In casual modern usage, a classical setting, eg, by JS Bach, of such a tune, in usually four-voiced, that proceeds in a primarily one-tone texture with both harmonic progression and individual voice-leading having equal importance. For this reason, they are often used as theory examples.
Chord progression a series of chords played one after another
Chord shapes The diagrams often shown above the staff which give the fingering for chords on the guitar, piano, organ, and other instruments.
