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Riff vs Chord - What's the difference?

riff | chord |

As an acronym riff

is .

As a noun chord is

(senseid)(music) a harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.

As a verb chord is

to write chords for.

riff

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A repeated instrumental melody line in a song.
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2009 , date=November 27 , author= , title=Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has 'best guitar riff' , work=BBC citation , page= , passage=Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time, 41 years after it was recorded, in a poll by website Music Radar.}}
  • A clever or witty remark.
  • A variation on something.
  • *2012 , The Economist, London Skyline: Tower Power
    • Both the Orbit and the Pinnacle are riffs on an idea sketched out in 1917 by Vladimir Tatlin for a monument to international communism.
  • A spoof
  • * 26 June 2014 , A.A Dowd, AV Club Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler spoof rom-com clichés in They Came Together [http://www.avclub.com/review/paul-rudd-and-amy-poehler-spoof-rom-com-cliches-th-206220]
    • The creative team has experience with spoofing: Both Rudd and Poehler had parts in Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer, a hysterically irreverent riff on ’80s summer-camp comedies.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.

    • See also

    * riff-raff * riffraff

    chord

    English

    (wikipedia chord)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (senseid)(music) A harmonic set of three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously.
  • * '>citation
  • (geometry) A straight line between two points of a curve.
  • (engineering) A horizontal member of a truss.
  • (aeronautics) The distance between the leading and trailing edge of a wing, measured in the direction of the normal airflow.
  • (computing) A keyboard shortcut that involves two or more distinct keypresses, such as Ctrl+M followed by P.
  • * 2005 , James Avery, Visual Studio hacks (page 99)
    • Ctrl-K is the default first key for chords , but you can create chords using any keys that you want.
  • The string of a musical instrument.
    • (Milton)
  • (anatomy) A cord.

    • Derived terms

    * mixed-interval chord * strike a chord, touch a chord

    See also

    * simultaneity

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To write chords for.
  • * 2003 , Dan Levenson, Clawhammer Banjo from Scratch
    • This chording' technique works well for learning any tune, but this is the only tune of the set that I will write out completely as a ' chorded version.
  • (music) To accord; to harmonize together.
    • This note chords with that one.
  • To provide with musical chords or strings; to string; to tune.
  • * Dryden
    • When Jubal struck the chorded shell.
  • * Beecher
    • Even the solitary old pine tree chords his harp.