Getting Started
So far, your study of harmony has focused on the fundamental building blocks of music: chords. You have learned to identify chords, understand their function, and connect them in logical progressions. This chapter introduces the next layer of musical detail, showing how composers create fluid, expressive melodies by adding notes that exist between or around the primary notes of the harmony.
What You Should Be Able to Do
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Define and differentiate between chord tones and nonharmonic tones.
Identify unaccented and accented passing tones in a musical score.
Identify upper and lower neighbor tones in a musical score.
Aurally distinguish the smooth, connecting motion of passing tones from the decorative motion of neighbor tones.
Analyze a melodic line to classify its embellishing tones based on their melodic approach, resolution, and rhythmic placement.
Key Concepts & Analysis
The identity of any decorative note is determined by its relationship to the notes that come before and after it. This relationship is a matter of voice-leading—the way an individual melodic line moves from one pitch to another. By analyzing this melodic motion, we can classify each decorative note and understand its function.
The Chordal Framework: Chord Tones vs. Nonharmonic Tones
To understand melodic decoration, we must first distinguish between the notes that belong to a chord and those that do not.
A Chord Tone (CT) is a pitch that is part of the prevailing harmony. For example, in a C major triad (C-E-G), the notes C, E, and G are all chord tones. These are the stable, foundational pitches of the harmony.
An Embellishing Tone is a decorative note used to enrich a melodic line and connect chord tones. When an embellishing tone is not part of the prevailing chord, it is called a Nonharmonic Tone (NHT) or Nonchord Tone (NCT). These terms are interchangeable. Nonharmonic tones create momentary dissonance that resolves to a stable chord tone, adding interest and tension to the music.
The classification of a nonharmonic tone depends on two key factors: its melodic context (how it is approached and left) and its rhythmic placement.
Rhythmic Placement: Accented vs. Unaccented
The rhythmic position of a nonharmonic tone helps to define its character and classification.
An Unaccented Nonharmonic Tone occurs on a rhythmically weak position, such as an off-beat or a weak subdivision of a beat. These tones are less disruptive and serve primarily to create smooth melodic connections.
An Accented Nonharmonic Tone occurs on a rhythmically strong position, such as on the beat itself. By placing a dissonance on a strong beat, the composer creates a more intense and expressive effect.
Passing Tones (PT)
A passing tone is a nonharmonic tone that fills the melodic space between two different chord tones. It creates a smooth, stepwise connection, like a step on a staircase between two floors.
The Rule: A passing tone is approached by step and left by step in the same direction.
Unaccented Passing Tone: This is the most common type. The passing tone falls on a weak beat.
- Example: In C major, over a I chord (C-E-G), a soprano line moves from C on beat 1 to E on beat 2. A D on the "and" of beat 1 is an unaccented passing tone. The motion is C–D–E. The D is not in the C major chord, is approached by step up from C, and resolves by step up to E.
Accented Passing Tone: This type occurs on a strong beat, creating a more noticeable dissonance.
- Example: In C major, over a I chord that lasts for two beats, a soprano line moves from E on beat 1 to C on beat 2. A D placed directly on beat 2, before resolving to C on the "and" of beat 2, is an accented passing tone. The motion is E–D–C. The D is dissonant with the C major chord on beat 2 and resolves downward by step.
Neighbor Tones (NT)
A neighbor tone is a nonharmonic tone that decorates a single, stable chord tone. It involves moving a step away from a chord tone and then immediately returning to it. It acts as a brief melodic ornament rather than a connector.
The Rule: A neighbor tone is approached by step and left by step in the opposite direction, returning to the original chord tone.
Upper Neighbor Tone (UN): The decorative note is a step above the chord tone.
- Example: In C major, over a I chord, a melody holds the note G for two beats. A brief A on the "and" of beat 1 before returning to G on beat 2 is an upper neighbor. The motion is G–A–G. The A is not in the C major chord, is approached by step up from G, and resolves by step down to G.
Lower Neighbor Tone (LN): The decorative note is a step below the chord tone.
- Example: In C major, over a I chord, a melody holds the note E for two beats. A brief D on the "and" of beat 1 before returning to E on beat 2 is a lower neighbor. The motion is E–D–E. The D is not in the C major chord, is approached by step down from E, and resolves by step up to E.
Neighbor tones are typically unaccented, though accented versions are possible.
Data & Organization Tools
This table summarizes the voice-leading patterns for the nonharmonic tones covered in this chapter. Use it as a quick reference for analysis.
| Embellishing Tone | Melodic Approach | Melodic Resolution | Overall Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Tone (PT) | Step | Step in same direction | Fills in a third (e.g., C-D-E) |
| Neighbor Tone (NT) | Step | Step in opposite direction | Departs from and returns to a note |
| Upper Neighbor (UN) | Step up | Step down | Decorates a chord tone from above |
| Lower Neighbor (LN) | Step down | Step up | Decorates a chord tone from below |
Evidence Bank
Embellishing Tone: A general term for any note that decorates a chordal framework, used to intensify expression or expand a melodic line.
Nonharmonic Tone (NHT): A specific type of embellishing tone whose pitch lies outside the prevailing chord. Also called a nonchord tone (NCT).
Passing Tone (PT): An NHT approached by step and resolved by step in the same direction, connecting two different chord tones.
Unaccented Passing Tone: A passing tone that occurs on a weak rhythmic position. It creates a smooth, unobtrusive connection.
Accented Passing Tone: A passing tone that occurs on a strong rhythmic position. It creates a more pronounced, expressive dissonance.
Neighbor Tone (NT): An NHT approached by step and resolved by step in the opposite direction, returning to the original chord tone.
Upper Neighbor Tone (UN): A neighbor tone that is a step above the decorated chord tone (e.g., C–D–C).
Lower Neighbor Tone (LN): A neighbor tone that is a step below the decorated chord tone (e.g., C–B–C).
Skill Snapshots
These examples illustrate the direct link between a voice-leading rule and its musical effect.
Rule: A melody moves by step in a single direction to fill the space between two chord tones a third apart.
- Effect: This creates a passing tone, resulting in a fluid, connected melodic contour that smooths out leaps.
Rule: A melody moves by step away from a chord tone and immediately returns to that same chord tone.
- Effect: This creates a neighbor tone, resulting in a momentary decoration that adds interest to a sustained pitch without fundamentally changing the melodic direction.
Rule: A nonharmonic tone is placed directly on a beat, delaying the arrival of the expected chord tone.
- Effect: This creates an accented nonharmonic tone, which heightens melodic and harmonic tension by creating a dissonance at a moment of rhythmic stress, making its resolution more satisfying.
Common Misconceptions & Clarifications
Confusing Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones: The key is the destination. A passing tone moves onward to a new chord tone. A neighbor tone returns to the original chord tone.
Misidentifying Chord Tones as NHTs: Always analyze the harmony first. In C major, a melody moving G–A–B over a V7 chord (G-B-D-F) contains no NHTs, as G, A, and B are all members of chords in a standard I–V7–I progression (A would be in a ii or V/V, but let's assume a simple context). However, the motion G–A–B over a static I chord (C-E-G) would feature A as an NHT. Context is everything.
Ignoring Rhythmic Placement: The difference between an unaccented and an accented passing tone is purely rhythmic. An unaccented PT (C-D-E, where D is on an off-beat) sounds smoother than an accented PT (C-D-E, where D is on the beat), which sounds more poignant.
Assuming All Stepwise Motion Involves NHTs: Melodies can move by step between two different chord tones. For example, in a C major chord, the motion E–F–G contains an F that is a passing tone. However, the motion G–A over a change of harmony from a I chord to a ii chord (d minor) is simply stepwise motion between two different chord tones.
Summary
Composers enrich music by adding embellishing tones to a basic chordal framework. When these notes fall outside the harmony, they are called nonharmonic tones. The identity of a nonharmonic tone is not based on the note itself, but on its melodic behavior—specifically, how it is approached and resolved by the surrounding notes. Passing tones connect two different chord tones with stepwise motion in a single direction, creating a sense of smooth melodic flow. Neighbor tones decorate a single chord tone by stepping away and immediately returning, serving as a brief melodic ornament. Finally, the rhythmic placement of these tones—whether on or off the beat—further defines their classification as accented or unaccented, which in turn affects their expressive intensity.