Non-chord Tones (Non-harmonic Tones)

[@مهدیمرادی-ج9ج]

you know with this video it's like a teacher is teaching me and I'm understanding it very well thank you very much

[@yuanpiano8363]

Like your teaching style, clearly and concisely illustrated and explained, thanks!

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

You're very welcome!

[@rubinatorsun8596]

Thank you so much. My harmony exam is this week and i'm very nervous. You videos help a lot!!

[@derik2nicolai584]

Dr. Kati, your videos are amazing.

[@otv88]

I love your videos! Your narration, bullet points, and music notation are the right balance. Don't stop the videos! Thank you.

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

Thanks for watching :)

[@hongmeige1218]

Dr. Kati Meyer Music Theory boooo

[@avapoole1620]

Watching this for school - very helpful, thank you!

[@pianolover1986]

thank you !

[@claudiusmaye]

Thanks for this video. In the 12 mins 48 seconds mark you have chord V rather than a cadential 6/4 which usually goes to V. I would not treat that chords as a V but rather a I 6/4 to V

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

There are different theories about the function of the cadential 6/4 in labeling. I subscribe to theory that it is a dominant elaboration at the cadence rather than a retrogression to tonic function - thus the dominant label. “Cad 6/4” would work just as well. Labels are just that - labels. If they don’t detail what it is going on in the music, it’s a useless detail.

[@claudiusmaye]

Just like tendency tones in music a Cadential 6/4 using goes to a V . Perhaps we can say we have different views on this....

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

@@claudiusmaye For sure! That's why it's called music theory and not music fact :)

[@suzettescheepers2937]

More videos please

[@youtubecommentor4480]

Two questions please: Question #1 What do you call it when the vocalist sings a non-chord tone at the same time a backing chord is played ? In other words, the non-chord vocal tone is sung on the same beat as when the guitar chord is played. Example would be a vocalist singing a non-chord note of F# while the guitarist is ‘simultaneously’ playing a ‘G major chord’. This combination does sound good and I understand that the vocal note of F# combined with the ‘G major chord’ produces a ‘G major 7th chord’. Question #2 please: Are there other cases where non-chord notes (besides F#) can be sung over a ‘G major chord’ to be used for other purposes? Great video! Thank you so much Dr. Meyer.

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

Sure! When a non-chord tone happens on at the same time as a chord, we usually refer to this as an "accented non-chord tone". Now, whether that pitch creates a new harmony that is function helps to decide whether it is, in fact, a non-chord tone at all. For instance, in your F# example, if that F# resolves downward like usual 7ths tend to do, then perhaps you wouldn't label it as a NCT. You can use many types of NCTs as accented dissonances - passing and neighboring tones, appogiaturas, suspensions to name a few!

[@EvaSlash]

I believe I've heard many people refer to melodic embellishments as "non-essential" tones. So is it correct to say that if all of the melodic embellishments were stripped away from a piece of music, that there would remain enough melodic structure to still be able to create a unique piece of music and still be identifiable? Stripping away all of the melodic embellishments would seem to just leave a series of chords without any uniquely identifiable melody! So it would seem to me that melodic embellishments are very critical and very essential in creating the main melody. Not sure why melodic embellishments are referred to as non-essential!

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

“Non-essential” is not the same as “non-chord”. Non-chord tones are essential for melodic embellishment, as you say. You could make melodies that stay within the harmonic constraints, but they would probably have many leaps and not be very melodious. That’s not to say that those pieces don’t exist, but we like the color that the NCTs bring to our melodies!

[@miguelrivera9878]

if you don't mind explaining. why should we use those techniques in our playing?

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

Tonal harmony labels only apply to common-practice Western Art music. If you’re playing music from 1700-1900, you should use these methods.

[@tobyyungggggggggg]

I like ants

[@RichardMooreMusic59]

How would you label the second note of the opening notes of 'She'll BE coming round the mountain' - so LA do'.....? Thank you!

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

This one is a little tricky. I suppose that since it is left by step and resolved by a leap and is unaccented, we would call it an escape tone. However, we generally want to see movement in the opposite direction upon the resolution. A second theory would be a passing tone, with the omission of 'ti', as 'sol la ti do' is a very common progression of passing tones. What did you come up with, Richard?

[@RichardMooreMusic59]

@@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory Thank you for your reply, Dr Meyer! I'm wondering if it could be called an incomplete Neighbour Tone, as I have seen the following description of an incomplete Neighbour Tone,...'Broadly speaking an incomplete neighbor tone is any non-chord tone a step away from a chord tone that proceeds or follows it (and is connected on the other side by leap)'. I also agree with your description of an escape tone resolving unconventionally. I can also 'imagine' it as a chord tone of a V9, or I6 chord. It is also featured in 'Baby Shark'!😁🦈

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

@@RichardMooreMusic59 I think Incomplete Neighbor tone is an apt analysis as well. Generally I think of movement in the opposite direction with neighbor motion, but this jives too.

[@hongmeige1218]

No offense, but please check the audio and sound, thank you! :)

[@karagorr4968]

lol, yeah it's all distorted and out of key

[@iammaxmackie]

Hi Dr. Meyer, thanks for this! I have a question. What's the difference between accented, unaccented, weak & strong? Some sources say (in 4/4 time) that beats 1 and 3 are strong (accented) and that beats 2 and 4 are weak (unaccented). Other sources say that (in 4/4 time) that 1,2,3,4 are accented, not necessarily saying they are "strong" and the beats in between (8th/16th) are unaccented, not necessarily calling them "weak." Is there a difference in terminology when talking about rhythm and melody?

[@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory]

Ah yes, Max, this is a good observation. When we are talking about the metric or hyper-metric level of meter, we will refer to beats 1 and 3 as metrically "strong", whereas, with NCTs each pulse is accented, anything off of any beat is "weak" or "unaccented" and anything on any beat is "strong" or "accented". We are using the same parlance to describe two different things; alas, this happens in music theory all the time. I hope this clarifies your question a little.

[@iammaxmackie]

@@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory YES, it does. Thank you for all your help and amazing videos.