LESSON 1

EMBELLISHING TONES

In this lesson, we had covered Embellishing Tones. The purpose of embellished notes is to add musical decorations or ornamentations to the harmony that will enable it to flourish. Even though it makes a musical composition sounds interesting, few are still made up of block chords. These embellish notes are sometimes referred to as "nonharmonic or nonchord- tones," and those that are covered in this lesson are passing tone, neighbor tone, incomplete neighbor tone, double neighbor, suspension, retardation, anticipation, and pedal point.

* Passing tones are dissonances, this type of melodic embellishment is approached by step, either ascending or descending, and continues in the same direction by step. This can also take place with notes arranging chromatically and is called chromatic passing tone.

These Are Images Of Passing Tones

* Neighbor tones are also dissonance melodic embellishment that is approached by step, either ascending or descending, and is returned to the same pitch.  

Image Of Neighbor Tones

* Incomplete neighboring tones are dissonance melodic embellishment that would move up by step and skip down by thrids before returning to the same pitch. This arrangement is also found in the opposite direction.

Image Of Incomplete Neighbor Tone

* Suspension, this is a rhythmic displacement that has three parts to it. In the first part, the preparation uses a consonant chord tone sustaining one of its notes. While, in the second part, the sustain note is used to make a strong dissonance chord change. The dissonance chord is then resolved on a weak beat down by a step in the third part. 

Image Of Suspension

* Retardation, this has a similar pattern to the suspension. The only difference is that it resolves upward by step on the weak beat.

* Anticipation, this is also a rhythmic displacement chord. In one of the chord voices, a note doubles up early enough to form a dissonance on the weak beat. Then enters a new chord on the strong beat as a consonance.

Image Of Anticipation

* Pedal point, This is commonly found in the bass and is sustained throughout the change of chords.  

Image Of Pedal Point

In this melody, there are many embellishment tones such as passing tones, neighbor tone, and incomplete neighbor tone.

The melody above is being performed without embellishing tones.

This is an example of the upper voice of the melody without the embellishing tones.  

This is a performance of the melody with embellishing tones.

This is the melody with the embellishing tones added to the upper voice.

Video Describing Embellishing Tones

This Video Give Examples Of Embellishing Tones