How to Say "chord" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “chord” is “acorde” — use 'acorde' when referring to a musical combination of three or more notes played simultaneously on an instrument..
acorde
/ah-KOR-deh//aˈkoɾde/
Examples
Aprendí a tocar mi primer acorde de guitarra ayer.
I learned to play my first guitar chord yesterday.
La canción termina con un acorde muy potente.
The song ends with a very powerful chord.
No reconozco ese acorde, ¿es un Do mayor?
I don't recognize that chord; is it a C major?
Gender Identification
Even though it ends in 'e', 'acorde' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it.
Plural Form
To make it plural, just add an 's' to get 'acordes'.
Gender confusion
Mistake: “La acorde suena bien.”
Correction: El acorde suena bien. (The word is masculine).
tecla
/TEH-klah//ˈtekla/
Examples
Por fin he dado con la tecla para arreglar el coche.
I've finally found the trick to fixing the car.
No le hables de su ex; le vas a tocar la tecla.
Don't talk to him about his ex; you're going to touch a nerve.
Es difícil dar con la tecla adecuada con este cliente.
It's hard to find the right approach with this client.
Using 'Dar con'
When using this figuratively, we often say 'dar con la tecla' which means 'to find the right key' or the solution.
Literal vs. Figurative
Mistake: “Has tocado mi llave.”
Correction: Has tocado mi tecla. (If you mean 'you touched a sensitive spot', you must use 'tecla', not 'llave').
Musical vs. Figurative Use
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