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.

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Other Word Forms

• prechordal adjective

Etymology

Origin of chordal

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

Example Sentences

Gill, on the other hand, was more chordal, and if her piano figures were sometimes similar to Barrick’s, she put them to a more rhythmic, swinging purpose.

From Washington Post • Aug. 28, 2022

Midway through, Corea slips into gentle chordal comping while Di Meola ascends and descends the scales.

From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2021

Drawing from classical and jazz methods, the chordal instruments will play strictly notated music written by Zorn while Roeder and Sorey will improvise around them.

From New York Times • Dec. 12, 2019

But beyond the center, when the quartet plays in unison or in thick chordal passages, is a freer energy on the fringes, almost like the sun with its corona.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2019

This sounds odd to us, since we take it for granted that the tune of a piece of music sits on top of its chordal accompaniment.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall