Non-Chord Tones
- Define non-chord tones and relate them to the prevailing harmony
- Identify passing tones, neighbor tones, and suspensions by approach and resolution
- Distinguish appoggiaturas, escape tones, anticipations, and pedal points
What a non-chord tone is
A non-chord tone (NCT), or embellishing tone, is a melodic pitch that is not a member of the chord sounding beneath it. NCTs create momentary dissonance that colors and animates a line before resolving into the harmony. Every NCT is classified by how it is approached (by step or by leap) and how it is left (by step or by leap, in the same or the opposite direction). Get those two motions right and the name follows.
Passing tones, neighbor tones, and suspensions
The three most common NCTs: A passing tone (PT) is approached and left by step in the same direction, filling the gap between two chord tones (C–D–E, where D passes). A neighbor tone (NT) steps away and back to the same chord tone (C–D–C is an upper neighbor). A suspension (SUS) has three stages — preparation (a chord tone), suspension (the tone is held as the harmony changes, becoming a dissonance), and resolution (it steps down to a chord tone). Suspensions are named by their intervals over the bass: 4–3, 7–6, 9–8, and the bass 2–3.
Appoggiatura, escape tone, anticipation, pedal
Other embellishments differ in approach and departure. An appoggiatura leaps in and steps out (usually accented, a sighing dissonance). An escape tone (échappée) steps in and leaps out, in the opposite direction. An anticipation arrives early — it belongs to the coming chord but sounds before the rest of the voices move to it. A retardation is like a suspension but resolves up. A pedal point is a single sustained tone (often tonic or dominant) held while the harmonies above it change, moving in and out of dissonance.
Over a sustained C major chord (C–E–G), the soprano moves E → F → G on three successive beats. Identify the F and justify it.
- 1.Compare each melody note to the C major chord: E and G are chord tones; F is not in C–E–G.
- 2.F is therefore a non-chord tone that must be classified.
- 3.It is approached by step from E (up) and left by step to G (up) — stepwise in the same direction.
- 4.A non-chord tone approached and left by step in the same direction, filling the space between two chord tones, is a passing tone.
Over a C major chord, the melody plays C–D–C, where D is not a chord tone. What kind of non-chord tone is D?
Do not confuse a suspension with an appoggiatura. A suspension is prepared by the same pitch as a chord tone in the previous beat, then held; an appoggiatura is leaped into with no preparation. Both usually resolve down by step, but the approach (held vs. leaped) tells them apart.
A tone is held over from the previous chord, becomes dissonant against the new chord, then resolves down by step (a 4–3 motion over the bass). What non-chord tone is this?
When analyzing, first spell the underlying chord, then circle every melody note that is not in it. For each, mark the approach and departure. The classic 4–3 and 7–6 suspensions are frequent exam targets — look for a tie or repeated pitch that becomes dissonant and then falls a step.
Answer the 2 checkpoints as you read.
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