A
borrowed chord (also called
mode mixture and
modal interchange) is a
chord borrowed from the
parallel key (
minor or
major scale with the same
tonic). Borrowed chords are typically used as "color chords", providing variety through contrasting scale forms, major and the three forms of minor. Similarly, chords may be borrowed from the parallel
modes, the various modes beginning on the same tonic as a scale, for example
Dorian with D major.