Can multiple instruments make a chord?

Question

This seems in line with the definition of chord

"three or more musical tones sounded simultaneously"

But do people commonly refer to a chord coming from multiple instruments? Then any set of instruments can make chords, whether the same or different types even.

Well, not strictly any set of intruments - you won't get a chord out of a bunch of unpitched percussions - but most you can hear in practice. — Divizna, Aug 17 '23 at 08:39
It's almost certain that chords were produced in this way (probably with more than one voice) before instruments which could produce chords on their own. — AJFaraday, Aug 17 '23 at 14:19

score 15 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 17 '23 at 05:21

15

Yes, any collection of instruments can make a chord. "Chord" just means several simultaneous, different pitches, and the various terms like "major" and "minor" designate particular characteristic chord constructions. The concepts are instrument independent.

answered Aug 17 '23 at 05:21

Aaron

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Including, I would note, the human voice. – phoog Aug 17 '23 at 08:20
@phoog and hand bell choirs. – candied_orange Aug 17 '23 at 21:33
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@phoog ... and the muppophone – Aaron Aug 18 '23 at 02:57
Simultaneous pitches - unless its a broken chord. – Dor1000 Aug 18 '23 at 18:47

score 3 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 17 '23 at 06:31

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It could be added, if it's not obvious, that voices can also make chords.

answered Aug 17 '23 at 06:31

Scott Wallace

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Could you give an example? – ConnieMnemonic Aug 17 '23 at 14:38
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@ConnieMnemonic One randomly found example. It's very common for choirs and vocal groups to do this. – Divizna Aug 17 '23 at 17:25
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Oh, and one notorious example... sorry about the sopranos being out of key. – Divizna Aug 17 '23 at 17:51
OH, thank you! Sorry, I think I misinterpreted your answer, you mean voices like "a collection of human voices", not "a single voice making a chord". I was thinking that'd be some impressive singing. I think I've seen some people who can do similar/weird stuff but still curious. Thank you! – ConnieMnemonic Aug 18 '23 at 12:31
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@ConnieMnemonic Yeah, the technique is called overtone singing and let's you project several tones simultanously, eg. this – matszwecja Aug 18 '23 at 14:03

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 17 '23 at 08:29

Yes, absolutely! Stuff like, say, a whole symphonic orchestra playing the final chord of a piece is something you can definitely hear about using just these words. First violins contribute one tone, flutes another, and so on - all together, it's a chord.

score 1 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 18 '23 at 18:21

One concrete example is with complex chords on a guitar, e.g. 11th or 13th.

They might be hard or impossible to play (there are 7 notes in a 13th chord, and only 6 strings). One solution is to leave out the root. It will most probably be played by the bass or piano, and the whole will sound like a chord.

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 17 '23 at 14:10

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Certain instruments, like horns and woodwinds, can only sound one note at a time. To produce a chord, several of them would need to sound the component notes simultaneously.

answered Aug 17 '23 at 14:10

Phil Freedenberg

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It's probably reasonable to say that most instruments can only sound one note at a time. Keyboard and string instruments are the exceptional ones. – Barmar Aug 17 '23 at 14:48

Can multiple instruments make a chord?

5 Answers5