Tristan chords

A form of Tristan chord — A chord in musical composition consisting originally of the notes F, B, D♯ and G♯ which can be translated more generally in intervalic terms as: augmented fourth, augmented sixth and augmented ninth above a root. Enharmonically it sounds like a half-diminished seventh chord (e.g. F-A♭-C♭-E♭), though in terms of musical analysis it can be interpreted in several ways.

Meanings

noun
  1. pluralplural of Tristan chord
Cite this entry
APA

Tristan chords. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tristan%20chords

MLA

“Tristan chords.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tristan%20chords. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tristan chords,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tristan%20chords.

Source: Tristan chords on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.