Hexachord

/ˈhɛksəkɔrd/ noun

Definition

In music, a six-note sequence or interval pattern used as a fundamental building block in medieval and Renaissance music theory.

Etymology

From Greek 'hexa-' (six) plus Latin 'chorda' (string). Medieval music theorists, particularly Guido of Arezzo, developed the hexachord as an essential concept for teaching musical scales and intervals.

Kelly Says

Before modern music notation, the hexachord (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la) was literally how you taught people to sing—it's the grandmother of the 'do-re-mi' song, and Guido invented it around 1025!

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