Embellishing Tones: Identifying Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones

Embellishments in Music

• Embellishments - Musical ornaments that add interest and variety to a melody.

  • Used to decorate a melody, making it more expressive and interesting.

• Common embellishments

  • Trills - Rapid alternation between two adjacent notes. It is indicated by a wavy line above or below the note.

  • Turns - Quick sequence of four notes that are played in a specific order. It is indicated by a small curve with a vertical line through it.

  • Mordents - Mordent is a rapid alternation between a note and the note above or below it. It is indicated by a short squiggle line above or below the note.

  • Grace notes - Quick, ornamental notes that are played before a main note. They are indicated by a small note with a diagonal line through the stem.

  • Appoggiaturas - Type of grace note that is played on the beat, taking up half the value of the main note. It is indicated by a small note with a line through the stem.

  • Acciaccaturas - Type of grace note that is played very quickly, just before the main note. It is indicated by a small note with a diagonal line through the stem.

Passing Tones

• Passing tones - Non-chord tones that connect two chord tones by stepwise motion. They are used to create smooth melodic lines and add interest to a melody.

Unaccented Passing Tones

• Unaccented passing tones - Passing tones that occur on a weak beat of the measure. They are often used to create a sense of motion and flow in a melody.

Accented Passing Tones

• Accented passing tones - Passing tones that occur on a strong beat of the measure. They are used to create a sense of tension and release in a melody.

Chromatic Passing Tones

• Chromatic passing tones - Passing tones that involve chromatic alteration. They are used to create a sense of tension and dissonance in a melody.

Neighbor Tones

• Neighbor tones - Non-chord tones that are a step above or below a chord tone and then return to the original chord tone. They are used to create a sense of tension and release in a melody.

Upper Neighbor Tone

• Upper neighbor tones - Neighbor tones that are a step above the original chord tone. Used to create a sense of tension and dissonance in a melody.

Lower Neighbor Tone

• Lower neighbor tones - Neighbor tones that are a step below the original chord tone. They are often used to create a sense of resolution and stability in a melody.

Preparation and Resolution

• Preparation and resolution - The way in which non-chord tones are approached and resolved. Proper preparation and resolution can create a sense of tension and release in a melody.

Ornamentation

• Ornamentation - The use of non-chord tones to embellish a melody. It is often used to add interest and complexity to a melody.

Embellishing Tones: Writing Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones

Writing Passing Tones and Neighbor Tones

• Use passing tones and neighbor tones to create interest and variety in your melodic lines.

• Be careful not to overuse passing tones and neighbor tones, as they can become predictable and lose their impact.

• Consider the harmonic context when choosing passing tones and neighbor tones. Make sure they fit with the underlying chord progression.

• Experiment with different rhythms and note durations to create different effects with passing tones and neighbor tones.

Embellishing Tones: Identifying Anticipations, Escape Tones, Appoggiaturas, and Pedal Points

Anticipation Tones

• Anticipation tones - A note that is played before the chord changes to create tension and anticipation.

  • Usually a non-chord tone that resolves to a chord tone on the next beat.

Escape Tones

• Escape tones - A note that is played on a weak beat and resolves to a chord tone on a strong beat.

  • Can be an upper or lower escape tone depending on whether it is above or below the chord tone.

  Upper Escape Tone

  • Upper escape tone - Type of musical ornamentation that is used to create tension and release in a melody.

  • It is a note that is higher than the melody note that precedes it, and it is usually played quickly and then resolved back to the melody note.

  Lower Escape Tone

  • Lower escape tone - Type of musical ornamentation that is used to create tension and release in a melody.

  • It is a note that is lower than the melody note that precedes it, and it is usually played quickly and then resolved back to the melody note.

Appoggiaturas

• Appoggiaturas - A type of embellishment where a non-chord tone is played on the beat and resolves to a chord tone.

Dissonant Appoggiatura

• Dissonant appoggiatura - Appoggiatura that creates tension because it clashes with the main note.

  • Dissonant appoggiaturas are often used in music to create a sense of drama or conflict.

Consonant Appoggiaturas

• Consonant appoggiatura - Appoggiatura that does not create tension because it does not clash with the main note.

• Consonant appoggiaturas are often used in music to add ornamentation or embellishment to a melody.

• Consonant appoggiaturas are sometimes referred to as "grace notes" because they add a graceful touch to a melody.

Pedal Points

• Pedal points - A sustained note played against changing harmonies.

  • Usually played in the bass and creates a sense of stability and tension.

Embellishing Tones: Identifying and Writing Suspensions; Identifying Retardations

Suspension

• Suspension - Type of non-chord tone that occurs when a note from a chord is held over into the next chord, creating a dissonance that resolves downward by step.

  • The suspended note is usually a chord tone that is held over from the previous chord, creating a dissonance with the new chord.

  • The resolution of the suspension creates a feeling of release and resolution.

Retardation

• Retardation - Type of non-chord tone that occurs when a note from a chord is held over into the next chord, creating a dissonance that resolves upward by step.

  • The retardation is the opposite of a suspension, in that it creates a dissonance that resolves upward instead of downward.

  • The resolution of the retardation creates a feeling of tension and release.

4-3 Suspensions

• 4-3 suspension - Type of suspension where the suspended note is a fourth above the bass and resolves down by step to a third above the bass.

  • The 4-3 suspension is one of the most common types of suspensions in tonal music.

  • The resolution of the 4-3 suspension creates a feeling of resolution and closure.

Chains of Suspensions

• Chain of suspensions - A series of suspensions that occur one after the other, creating a sense of tension and release.

  • Used in slow movements of sonatas and other instrumental works to create a sense of emotional intensity.

Rearticulated Suspensions

• Rearticulated suspension - Type of suspension where the suspended note is repeated before resolving.

  • The repetition of the suspended note creates a sense of tension and prolongs the resolution of the suspension.

Motive and Motivic Transformations

• Motive - Short melodic or rhythmic idea that is repeated and developed throughout a piece of music. It is the smallest identifiable musical idea that can be used to create a larger musical structure.

• Motivic transformation - The process of altering a motive to create a new musical idea.

Types of motivic transformations

• Transposed motives - The same motive played in a different key. This can be either an exact transposition or a chromatic transposition.

  • Exact transposed motives - The same motive played in a different key, but with no alteration to the intervals between the notes.

  • Chromatic transposed motives - The same motive played in a different key, but with some alteration to the intervals between the notes.

• Motive inversion - When a motive is played upside down, so that the intervals between the notes are reversed.

• Retrograde - When a motive is played backwards, so that the last note becomes the first note, and so on.

• Extended motive - When a motive is repeated and extended beyond its original length.

• Truncated motive - When a motive is shortened by removing some of its notes.

• Fragmented motive - When a motive is broken up into smaller pieces and used in different parts of the music.

• Motivic augmentation - When a motive is played at a slower tempo or with longer note values.

• Motivic diminution - When a motive is played at a faster tempo or with shorter note values.

Melodic Sequences

• Melodic sequencing - Refers to the repetition of a pattern of notes in a melody.

  • It is a technique used in music composition to create a sense of unity and coherence in a piece of music.

  • Sequences can be ascending or descending and can be transposed to different levels.

Sequences

• Sequence - A pattern of notes that is repeated at different pitch levels. It can be a short or long pattern and can be used to create a sense of tension and release in a melody.

Ascending Sequence

• Ascending sequence - Pattern of notes that moves upward in pitch. It can be used to create a sense of excitement and anticipation in a melody.

Descending Sequence

• Descending sequence - Pattern of notes that moves downward in pitch. It can be used to create a sense of relaxation and resolution in a melody.

Melodic Sequences

Diatonic Melodic Sequences

• Diatonic melodic sequences - They use only the notes of a particular key. They can be used to create a sense of stability and familiarity in a melody.

Chromatic Melodic Sequences

• Chromatic melodic sequences - They use all twelve notes of the chromatic scale. They can be used to create a sense of tension and dissonance in a melody.

Functions of Melodic Sequences in Music

Melodic sequences can serve several functions in music, including:

• Creating a sense of unity and coherence in a piece of music

• Providing a sense of tension and release in a melody

• Creating a sense of excitement and anticipation in a melody

• Creating a sense of relaxation and resolution in a melody

• Adding complexity and interest to a melody

Harmonic Sequences

Harmonic Sequences

• Harmonic sequences - A series of chords that follow a pattern of intervals.

  • Descending harmonic sequences - Chords move down by a certain interval.

    • Commonly used in sad or melancholic music.

  • Ascending harmonic sequences - Chords move up by a certain interval.

    • Commonly used in uplifting or triumphant music.

• Harmonic progression - A sequence of musical chords that follow a specific pattern.

• Depending on the direction of the progression, it can be characterized as monte, fonte, or ponte.

  • Monte - The chords move upwards in pitch creating a sense of tension and anticipation.

  • Fonte - The chords move downwards in pitch creating a sense of release and relaxation, as the progression resolves at a lower pitch.

  • Ponte - The chords neither ascend nor descend, but instead move in a circular or meandering pattern creating a sense of ambiguity and unpredictability.

• Monte creates tension, fonte creates release, and ponte creates ambiguity.

Minuets

• Minuet - A three-part musical form that is commonly used in music compositions. It is represented by the letters ABA, where the A section is followed by a contrasting B section, and then returns to the A section.

Structure of Minuets

The A section is usually the main theme of the piece and is repeated at the end of the composition. The B section is usually in a contrasting key, tempo, or melody, and provides a break from the repetition of the A section.

The structure of ternary form can be represented as follows:

• A (theme 1)

• B (contrasting theme)

• A (theme 1 repeated)

Full Texture Sequences

• Full texture sequence - A sequence where all voices move in the same rhythm and direction.

• Linear intervallic pattern sequence - A sequence where the intervals between the notes in each voice follow a pattern.

Fifths

• Descending fifths progression - A sequence where chords move down by a fifth.

• Ascending fifths sequence - A sequence where chords move up by a fifth.

• Descending thirds sequence - A sequence where chords move down by a third.

Ascending

• Ascending seconds sequence - A sequence where chords move up by a second.

• Ascending parallel 6/5 chords - A type of chord progression commonly used in classical music.

  • They consist of two chords, each with a 6th and 5th interval between the lowest and highest notes.

• The chords can be major or minor, depending on the key and the notes used.

• Found in the middle or end of a musical phrase, and can be used to lead into a cadence or resolution.

Pachelbel Sequences

• Pachelbel sequence - A sequence that uses the chords I, V, vi, iii, IV, I, IV, V.

• These sequences are characterized by a repeating pattern of chords that are played in a specific order.

Structure of Pachelbel Sequences

• First chord progression - Establishes the key and sets the tone for the sequence.

• Second chord progression - Variation of the first and typically involves a change in the melody or harmony.

• Final chord progression - Resolves the sequence and brings it to a close.