13.1: Melodic Embellishments Introduction
- Page ID
- 325221
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By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Describe and name various embellishments
- Determine by sound the type of embellishment
- Add embellishments to a basic framework
Embellishments
Embellishments are also commonly referred to as "non-chord tones." These are the elements that can take a very basic melodic line and create additional interest and complexity. As musicians, we study these from a theoretical standpoint so we can understand the music we are reading, a compositional standpoint to better create a more interesting composition, and an ear training standpoint to be able to hear groups of notes and patterns and more easily process what we are hearing.
Key Terms
- Non-chord tone: a note that does not normally belong to the overall sonority
- Passing tone: a non-chord tone that passes between two chord tones
- Neighbor tone: a non-chord tone that steps away from a chord tone and then returns to the same tone
- Suspension: a note that belongs to the previous chord, but is held into the next chord where it does not belong
- Appoggiatura: a non-chord tone that is the result of a leap and then resolved by a step
- Escape tone: a non-chord tone that is the result of a step and then resolved by a leap
- Neighbor group: an appoggiatura and escape tone combined
- Anticipation: a tone that does not belong to the chord where it is first heard, but does belong to the following chord
- Pedal point: a tone that begins as a chord tone, becomes a non-chord tone, and then returns to being a chord tone