Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun music 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.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

It is a reference to the chord used in the opening phrase of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde as part of the leitmotif attributed to the character Tristan.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Tristan chord.

Examples

    Sorry, no example sentences found.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.