Simultaneous Decoration
When decorative non-chord notes (e.g. passing notes or auxiliary notes) are used in two or more parts at the same time, it’s best to make sure that the decoration notes …
Music theory lessons for ABRSM and Trinity candidates
When decorative non-chord notes (e.g. passing notes or auxiliary notes) are used in two or more parts at the same time, it’s best to make sure that the decoration notes …
Suspensions are prepared, dissonant non-chord notes which resolve downwards by step. They fall on a strong beat, but are not normally accented in themselves, because they are usually tied backwards …
Auxiliary Notes Auxiliary notes are non-chord notes which are approached and quit in the opposite direction by step. They are usually unaccented. They can either be upper or lower auxiliary …
Here is an SATB hymn tune Pansies, Lilies, Roses which is not decorated: To make it a little more rhythmically and melodically interesting, we can add unaccented passing notes between …
Chromatic Passing Notes Chromatic passing notes are passing notes which do not belong to the current key. They normally occur between two notes which are a tone apart, filling in …
The term “changing note” is used to describe a variety of non-chord note patterns. What they have in common is that the non-chord note is unaccented, and the figure employs …
An anticipation is an unaccented non-chord note which is an early sounding of the following chord note, which is then repeated within its own chord. For example, the soprano chord …
Appoggiaturas are accented non-chord notes which move by step (up or down) to a chord note to resolve. In this example, the chord is C major. The note D is …
Ordinary Auxiliary Notes Auxiliary notes are non-chord notes which are approached and quit in the opposite direction by step. They are usually unaccented. Auxiliary notes occur between two chord notes …