Melodic Devices and Features

Question-and-answer flashcards covering essential melodic devices: passing notes, accented passing notes, suspensions, upper and lower auxiliaries, appoggiaturas, anticipations, and sequences.

What is a passing note?

A non-chord tone that moves by step between two chord tones, creating a smooth melodic connection.

What makes a passing note "accented"?

It falls on a strong beat (or accented part) of the bar, making the dissonance more prominent before resolving by step.

What are the three stages of a suspension?

1) Preparation (chord tone held), 2) Suspension (same note becomes a dissonance), 3) Resolution (stepwise move into a chord tone).

What is a suspension in tonal music?

A sustained or repeated dissonant note that resolves downward by step after being prepared in the previous chord.

What is an upper auxiliary (upper neighbor) note?

A non-chord tone that steps up from a chord tone, then immediately returns to the original chord tone.

What is a lower auxiliary (lower neighbor) note?

A non-chord tone that steps down from a chord tone and then back up to the original chord tone.

Define an appoggiatura.

An accented non-chord tone approached by leap and resolved by step, usually downward, onto a chord tone.

What is a note of anticipation?

A non-chord tone that arrives early, stepping into a upcoming chord tone before the harmony changes, then remains as the harmony catches up.

What is a melodic sequence?

The repetition of a melodic motif or phrase at successively higher or lower pitch levels.