Getting Started
Building upon your knowledge of basic harmonic structure, this section introduces four specific types of embellishing tones. These notes, which are not part of the prevailing chord, create momentary dissonance and add melodic sophistication and emotional depth to music. Understanding their specific patterns of approach and resolution is key to both accurate analysis and sophisticated composition.
What You Should Be Able to Do
Identify appoggiaturas, escape tones, anticipations, and pedal points in a notated musical score.
Describe the specific melodic pattern (approach by step or leap, resolution by step or leap) that defines each of these four embellishing tones.
Differentiate between these embellishing tones based on their metrical placement (whether they occur on or off the beat).
Explain how a pedal point creates sustained tension by remaining stationary against changing harmonies.
Aurally recognize the characteristic sound and function of each of these embellishments in a musical context.
Key Concepts & Analysis
The primary lens for identifying these embellishing tones is voice-leading. An embellishing tone, also called a nonharmonic tone, is a note that does not belong to the chord with which it sounds. Its identity is determined not by the harmony itself, but by the melodic context in which it appears: specifically, how it is approached and how it is left. We classify these tones by analyzing the intervals of approach and resolution—whether they are steps or leaps—and by observing their metrical placement.
Embellishing Tone Classifications
Appoggiatura (APP)
An appoggiatura is an accented nonharmonic tone that is approached by leap and resolves by step. Its power comes from its placement on a strong metric position, creating a noticeable, expressive dissonance that leans into its resolution.
Approach: By leap (usually upward).
The Dissonance: The appoggiatura itself, occurring on the beat.
Resolution: By step (usually downward) to a chord tone.
Metrical Placement: Accented (on the beat).
Think of the word "lean," which is what appoggiare means in Italian. The appoggiatura "leans" on the main chord tone it resolves to. For example, in C major, over a C major chord (C-E-G), a melody might leap from G up to F on beat one, then resolve down by step to E on the second half of the beat. The F is the appoggiatura.
Escape Tone (ET)
An escape tone is an unaccented nonharmonic tone that is approached by step and resolved by a leap in the opposite direction. It is a decorative, fleeting dissonance that "escapes" from the harmony.
Approach: By step (usually upward) from a chord tone.
The Dissonance: The escape tone itself, occurring off the beat.
Resolution: By leap (usually downward) to a chord tone in the next chord.
Metrical Placement: Unaccented (off the beat).
The escape tone can be seen as a melodic inverse of the appoggiatura. For example, in C major, over a G7 chord (G-B-D-F), a melody might move from the chord tone G up by step to A on an upbeat, and then leap down to the chord tone C of the following I chord. The A is the escape tone.
Anticipation (ANT)
An anticipation is an unaccented nonharmonic tone that moves to a pitch of the following chord "early." It anticipates the new harmony before it actually arrives.
Approach: By step or leap from a chord tone.
The Dissonance: The anticipation itself, which is dissonant with the current chord but will be consonant with the next chord.
Resolution: By remaining on the same pitch, which becomes a chord tone in the new harmony.
Metrical Placement: Unaccented (typically on a weak beat or part of a beat, just before the next chord sounds).
Anticipations are extremely common at cadences. For example, in a V-I cadence in C major, a soprano melody might move from B (in the G chord) down to C just before the I chord sounds on the next downbeat. That C is an anticipation of the tonic chord.
Pedal Point (PED)
A pedal point (or pedal tone) is a sustained or repeated note, usually in the bass, that is held constant while the harmonies in the upper voices change. A pedal point begins as a chord tone, becomes a nonharmonic tone as other chords sound against it, and typically ends as a chord tone again.
Approach: The note begins as a consonant part of a harmony.
The Dissonance: The pedal note is held or repeated while other chords, with which it is dissonant, sound above it.
Resolution: The harmonies eventually change back to one where the pedal note is again consonant.
Metrical Placement: Sustained across multiple beats and metrical positions.
The most common pedal points are on the tonic (^1) or dominant (^5). A dominant pedal point, where ^5 is sustained in the bass under changing harmonies (e.g., I, IV6/4, vii°6), is a powerful way to build tension leading to a cadence. If a pedal point occurs in an upper voice, it is called an inverted pedal point.
Data & Organization Tools
This table summarizes the defining voice-leading characteristics of each embellishing tone.
| Embellishing Tone | Approach | Departure/Resolution | Metrical Placement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appoggiatura | Leap | Step (opposite direction) | Accented |
| Escape Tone | Step | Leap (opposite direction) | Unaccented |
| Anticipation | Step or Leap | Stays on same pitch | Unaccented |
| Pedal Point | N/A (sustained) | N/A (sustained) | Sustained |
Evidence Bank
Appoggiatura (APP): An accented nonharmonic tone approached by leap and resolved by step, creating expressive, "leaning" dissonance.
Escape Tone (ET): An unaccented nonharmonic tone approached by step and resolved by leap in the opposite direction; often described as a decorative "escape" from the harmony.
Anticipation (ANT): An unaccented nonharmonic tone that states a note of the next chord prematurely. It resolves by becoming a part of that next chord.
Pedal Point (PED): A sustained or repeated note (usually tonic or dominant in the bass) held through changing harmonies, creating significant tension and release.
Inverted Pedal Point: A pedal point that occurs in a soprano or alto voice rather than the bass.
Accented Dissonance: Dissonance occurring on a strong beat, demanding resolution and drawing the listener's attention. The appoggiatura is the primary example.
Unaccented Dissonance: Dissonance occurring on a weak beat, serving a more decorative or transitional purpose. Escape tones and anticipations are key examples.
Voice-Leading Pattern: The specific sequence of melodic intervals (steps and leaps) that defines a nonharmonic tone's approach and resolution.
Skill Snapshots
Voice-Leading Rule: A melody leaps up a third to a note on a downbeat, then resolves down by step.
- Effect: This pattern creates an appoggiatura. The leap to an accented dissonance generates strong melodic and harmonic interest.
Voice-Leading Rule: In a soprano line over a V-I cadence, the melody moves from scale degree ^2 to ^1 on the last eighth note of the measure, just before the tonic chord arrives on the downbeat.
- Effect: This creates an anticipation. The early arrival of the tonic note smoothly connects the dominant and tonic harmonies.
Voice-Leading Rule: The bass voice sustains scale degree ^5 for four measures while the upper voices move through a progression like I – IV – V – I.
- Effect: This creates a dominant pedal point. It builds immense tension by creating dissonance with the IV chord, reinforcing the dominant function and driving powerfully toward the final tonic resolution.
Common Misconceptions & Clarifications
Appoggiatura vs. Accented Passing Tone: An appoggiatura is always approached by leap. If an accented nonharmonic tone is approached and left by step in the same direction, it is an accented passing tone, not an appoggiatura.
Escape Tone vs. Appoggiatura: These are near-opposites. The escape tone is unaccented and follows a step-then-leap pattern. The appoggiatura is accented and follows a leap-then-step pattern.
Anticipation vs. Suspension: An anticipation introduces a note from the next chord early. A suspension holds over a note from the previous chord into the next, creating a dissonance that then resolves downward by step.
Pedal Point vs. Simple Common Tone: A pedal point is sustained through at least two different harmonies with which it is dissonant. A note that is simply held over between two chords of which it is a member (e.g., the note C held between a C major and an F major chord) is just a common tone, not a pedal point.
Summary
The four embellishing tones discussed—appoggiatura, escape tone, anticipation, and pedal point—add color and complexity to music through controlled dissonance. Their identities are defined by specific voice-leading patterns: the melodic intervals of approach and resolution, and their placement within the measure. The appoggiatura is an expressive, accented dissonance approached by leap and resolved by step. The escape tone is a decorative, unaccented dissonance approached by step and resolved by leap. The anticipation prepares the subsequent harmony by sounding one of its tones early. Finally, the pedal point creates broad harmonic tension by sustaining a single note, typically in the bass, against a series of changing chords. Mastering the identification of these tones is essential for a deep understanding of melodic and harmonic practice.