Non-Chord Tones

Definition

• A non-chord tone (NCT) or embellishing tone is a tone that is not a member of the chord

  • Can either be diatonic or chromatic

  • May be a NCT throughout its duration, or for only a portion of its duration

• Classified by how they are approached and followed

  • Up and down, either by step, leap, or common tone

• Accented vs unaccented

  • It is accented if it occurs on the strong beat

  • It is unaccented if it occurs on the weak beat

Types of Non-Chord Tones

1. Passing Tone (p)

• Fills in the space between two different chord tones with stepwise motion

• Always approached and left by step in the same direction

  • Ascending or descending

2. Neighbor Tones (nt)

• Decorates a single tone

• Departs from a chord tone by step and returns to the same tone by step in the opposite direction

• Upper neighbor tone (UNT)

  • Departs from a chord tone by ascending step

• Lower neighbor tone (LNT)

  • Departs from a chord tone by descending step

3. Double Neighbor (dn) or Neighbor Group (n.gr)

• Occurs when both the upper and lower neighbor occur before the return to the starting note

4. Incomplete Neighbor Tone (int)

• Unaccented NCT

• Either approached by step and left by leap, or approached by leap and left by step

• Usually resolves in the opposite direction

• Types of incomplete neighbor tones:

  • Appoggiatura

  • Escape tone

5. Appoggiatura (app)

• A type of incomplete neighbor tone that is accented

• Approached by leap (usually up) and followed by step (usually down, but always in the opposite direction of the preceding leap) to a chord tone

6. Escape Tone (esc)

• A type of incomplete neighbor tone that is unaccented

• The reverse of the appoggiatura

  • Approached by step (usually up) from a chord tone and followed by leap (usually down, but always in the opposite direction of the preceding step)

7. Anticipation (ant)

• Unaccented

• Approached by step and left by common tone, so that a note of the upcoming chord arrives early

8. Pedal Point (ped)

• A compositional device that begins as a chord tone, then becomes an NCT as the harmonies around it change

  • It finally ends up as a chord tone when the harmony is once more in agreement with it

9. Suspension (sus)

• Accented dissonances

• Approached by common tone from a note of the previous chord and resolves down by step

• Suspended notes may either be tied or restruck

• Examples:

  • 9-8

  • 6-5

  • 4-3

  • 7-6

10. Retardation (ret)

• Like a suspension, except that it resolves up by step

• Example:

  • 2-3

Non-Chord Tones Reference Table