Unit 6: Harmony and Voice Leading III: Embellishments, Motives, and Melodic Devices

Nonchord tone (NCT)

A melodic pitch that sounds while a harmony is in effect but is not a member of that chord; it creates temporary non-harmonic color and resolves in a controlled way (typically by step) to a chord tone.

Ornamentation

Decorative melodic figures that add interest, variety, and complexity; often stylized presentations of nonchord-tone behavior in performance practice.

Structural (harmonic) layer

The underlying chord tones that define the harmony and progression, often emphasized on strong beats.

Surface (melodic) layer

The audible melodic line, which may include nonchord tones between or around structural chord tones.

Accented nonchord tone

A nonchord tone that occurs on a metrically strong position (often on the beat).

Unaccented nonchord tone

A nonchord tone that occurs on a metrically weak position (often between beats).

Approach (of an NCT)

How a nonchord tone is reached (by step, by leap, or by tie/hold).

Resolution (of an NCT)

How a nonchord tone moves to a chord tone, most commonly by step; direction/timing helps determine NCT type.

Harmonic rhythm

How often chords change over time; misreading NCTs as chord changes can create an implausibly fast harmonic rhythm.

Passing tone (PT)

An NCT that fills in stepwise motion between two chord tones (often a third apart); approached by step and left by step in the same direction.

Unaccented passing tone

A passing tone on a weak part of the beat, typically used to create motion and flow without stressing the dissonance.

Accented passing tone

A passing tone on a strong beat; still stepwise in the same direction, but with stronger tension/release due to accent.

Chromatic passing tone

A passing tone that uses a chromatic alteration (outside the key) to intensify tension/dissonance.

Neighbor tone (NT)

An NCT that embellishes one chord tone by moving away by step and returning by step to the original chord tone (direction reverses).

Upper neighbor tone

A neighbor tone that steps above a chord tone and returns to it by step.

Lower neighbor tone

A neighbor tone that steps below a chord tone and returns to it by step.

Double neighbor (neighbor group)

A four-note figure that uses both upper and lower neighbors around a main chord tone (e.g., C–D–B–C around C).

Chromatic neighbor tone

A neighbor tone that uses a chromatic pitch outside the key (e.g., E–E♭–E as a chromatic lower neighbor).

Preparation and resolution (voice-leading idea)

The concept that NCTs connect convincingly to surrounding chord tones via controlled approach and stepwise resolution, even when quick and unaccented.

Incomplete neighbor

A neighbor-like embellishment where one side involves a leap; often indicates a different category (such as escape tone or appoggiatura) rather than a true neighbor.

Suspension

An accented NCT created when a prepared chord tone is held (often tied) into a new harmony, becomes dissonant, and then resolves down by step.

Retardation

A suspension-like accented NCT that resolves up by step (rather than down).

Preparation (in a suspension)

Stage 1 of a suspension: the note is a consonant chord tone in the first harmony.

Suspension stage (dissonance)

Stage 2 of a suspension: the held note becomes dissonant against the new harmony, typically on a strong beat.

Resolution stage (in a suspension)

Stage 3 of a suspension: the suspended pitch resolves by step to a chord tone (down for suspension, up for retardation).

Suspension label (e.g., 4–3, 7–6, 9–8)

Names a suspension by the interval above the bass at dissonance (first number) and after resolution (second number).

4–3 suspension

A suspension where the dissonant interval above the bass is a 4th and it resolves down to a 3rd; one of the most common suspension types.

Chain of suspensions

A series of suspensions in succession, producing repeated waves of tension and release (often used to intensify expression).

Rearticulated suspension

A suspension in which the suspended pitch is repeated before resolving, prolonging the tension.

Appoggiatura (NCT category)

An accented nonchord tone typically approached by leap and resolved by step (often in the opposite direction), creating a “leaning” expressive effect.

Dissonant appoggiatura

An appoggiatura that clashes with the harmony, creating heightened drama/conflict before stepwise resolution.

Consonant appoggiatura

An appoggiatura that does not clash strongly with the harmony; often functions as a graceful decorative emphasis despite being an embellishment.

Escape tone (ET)

A usually unaccented NCT approached by step and left by leap in the opposite direction; it does not return to the original pitch.

Upper escape tone

An escape tone where the nonchord tone itself is above the preceding chord tone (defined by the step-into, leap-away pattern).

Lower escape tone

An escape tone where the nonchord tone itself is below the preceding chord tone (defined by the step-into, leap-away pattern).

Cambiata (changing-tone figure)

A standardized melodic figure where a dissonant NCT is approached by step and left by leap, followed by stepwise motion that completes the pattern (common in chorale/species-like contexts).

Anticipation

A note that arrives early: it is an NCT in the current harmony but becomes a chord tone in the next harmony, usually unaccented and often repeated/tied into the next chord.

Pedal point (pedal tone)

A sustained or repeated note (often in the bass) that begins as a chord tone, becomes nonchord as harmonies change above it, and then returns to chord-tone status; creates stability plus tension.

Tonic pedal

A pedal point on scale degree 1 that anchors harmony while chords change above it.

Dominant pedal

A pedal point on scale degree 5 that builds tension and often leads toward cadential resolution.

Arpeggiation (broken-chord device)

Melodic motion that outlines a chord by moving among chord tones (often by leap); typically not an NCT because the pitches belong to the chord.

Trill

An ornament consisting of rapid alternation between two adjacent notes; typically notated with a wavy line.

Turn

An ornament consisting of a quick four-note figure in a conventional order around a main pitch; notated with a small curved symbol (often with a vertical line).

Mordent

An ornament consisting of rapid alternation between a note and the note above or below it; notated with a short squiggle-like sign.

Grace notes

Quick ornamental notes played before a main note; notated as small notes (often with a slash/diagonal line).

Acciaccatura

A type of grace note played very quickly just before the main note; typically notated as a small note with a diagonal slash through the stem.

Motive (motif)

A short, recognizable musical idea (often a few notes), often described as the smallest identifiable idea that can generate larger structure; may be defined by rhythm, contour, intervals, or scale degrees.

Motivic transformation

Altering a motive to create a related idea (e.g., sequence/transposition, inversion, retrograde, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, truncation, extension).

Sequence (general)

The repetition of a musical idea at a different pitch level; often keeps the same interval order and rhythm while restarting higher or lower.

Pachelbel sequence

A patterned chord progression: I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV–V, commonly used as a repeating sequence that establishes, varies, then resolves.