Cryptic crossword clue
At opera gigs, play musical chords 9

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word ARPEGGIOS

I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "musical chords" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case musical chords = arpeggios.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does ARPEGGIOS mean?

ARPEGGIOS noun
  1. The notes of a chord played individually instead of simultaneously, usually moving from lowest to highest.

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