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nonharmonictones

By Aron Bernstein Leave a Comment

Weekly Music Challenge: 5/23/22

Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.

This Week’s Challenge:

In counterpoint, describe the difference between the double neighbor and the cambiata.

Post your reply and come back Friday, May 27th for the answer!

ANSWER for 5/23/22

The double neighbor and cambiata are closely related as non-harmonic tones. They both involve two neighbor tones and skip away from a dissonance. But a double neighbor returns to the chord tone it started on, while the cambiata does not. Watch the video clip at right:

Want to Learn More?

With Breaking Barlines you learn music theory the right way: fun, holistic, and with a personal touch! Have a look at the complete Breaking Barlines Course! Then sign up for a monthly subscription for full access to all video lessons, worksheets, and answer keys. New lessons are always added, so stay tuned!

By Aron Bernstein 2 Comments

Weekly Music Challenge: 5/2/22

Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.

This Week’s Challenge:

In this excerpt from Jules Massenet’s Vieille Chanson, what is the name of the non-harmonic tones at the red arrows?

Vieille Chanson, Op. 10, No. 7 by Jules Massenet
Listen to Audio

Post your reply and come back Friday, May 6th for the answer!

ANSWER for 5/2/22

These are escape tones, also known as the échappée. They’re neighbor tones that do not return to the starting chord tone, but rather skip in the opposite direction to a new chord tone. For this reason they can also be thought of as a type of incomplete neighbor, leaping from a dissonance to a different chord tone from the one we started on. In this sense they’re the opposite of appoggiaturas, which leap to a dissonance.

Want to Learn More?

With Breaking Barlines you learn music theory the right way: fun, holistic, and with a personal touch! Have a look at the complete Breaking Barlines Course! Then sign up for a monthly subscription for full access to all video lessons, worksheets, and answer keys. New lessons are always added, so stay tuned!

By Aron Bernstein 7 Comments

Weekly Music Theory Challenge 2/7/22

Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.

This week’s challenge:

This is from the first movement of Tchaikovsky’s 6th Symphony in B minor, Op. 74. What is the name of the non-harmonic tones with the red arrows? They’re in the trombone melody, beginning after the violins’ entrance.

Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74
Listen to Audio

Check back on Friday, February 11th to see if you’re right!

ANSWER for 2/7/22

This is an example of the appoggiatura, a word that literally means “to lean.” The indicated notes are dissonant non-harmonic tones that are approached by a leap, and then resolve by step in the opposite direction. Although they sometimes appear off the beat, they’re more commonly seen as an accented dissonance, right on the beat where they really demand your attention!

Want to Learn More?

With Breaking Barlines you learn music theory the right way: fun, holistic, and with a personal touch! Have a look at the complete Breaking Barlines Course! Then sign up for a monthly subscription for full access to all video lessons, worksheets, and answer keys. New lessons are always added, so stay tuned!

By Aron Bernstein 20 Comments

Weekly Music Theory Challenge 9/20/21

Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.

This week’s challenge:

This is from Mozart’s Minuet in C Major, K. 6. What type of non-harmonic tone is the circled note?

Listen to Audio

Reply to post your answer, and check back on Friday, September 24 to see if you’re right!

ANSWER for 9/20/21

This is called a retardation, a delayed resolution of a tone that results in temporary dissonance. The circled note is the leading tone in the key of G major, F-sharp. But rather than resolving up to G when it should, at the beginning of the final measure, its resolution is delayed until the last beat. This is the opposite of an anticipation, which is an early resolution of a tendency tone.

Want to Learn More?

With Breaking Barlines you learn music theory the right way: fun, holistic, and with a personal touch! Have a look at the complete Breaking Barlines Course! Then sign up for a monthly subscription for full access to all video lessons, worksheets, and answer keys. New lessons are always being added, so stay tuned!