@@TLllllll depends on previous notes. Like in one bar that ends, you can resolve up or down a step, you can start on a chord tone or chromatic note, chord scale tone, etc there are a lot of options really but is also depends on underlying harmony and the cadence of the progression currently. If you get quite far in theory every scale degree and the transitions into differeny scale degree all have a purpose and can spend a lot of time on the theory of one single scale tone, then you have the current scale tone and the theory or transitioning into tensions or chromatic notes, etc. It gets very dense and difficult after a few years of theory but if you dont want to be a master's degree or higher level music educator ( professor that teaches masters and PHD level students) you don't have to get in the theory of every scale degree and many other topics in theory but a basic foundation is always good and then just add to that a bit at a time I would recommend learning and memorizing triads and major scales , also memorizing their notes first then go into 7th chord like major, minor, dominant and minor 7b5 (7th chords) all keys, learn different cadences or I-IV-V or II-V-I progressions , etc and learn arpeggios for the chords I mentioned the 7th chords. Soloing over the chord progressions and also get into voice leading and harmonic and melodic minor scales and common chord progressions, pick up some jazz harmony books and get into counterpoint, Bach has a lot of great counterpoint examples you can buy sight reading books and books about all of that also.
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.
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!
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?
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.
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?
@@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'!😁🦈
@@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.
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!
“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!
Like your teaching style, clearly and concisely illustrated and explained, thanks!
You're very welcome!
Watching this for school - very helpful, thank you!
Dr. Kati, your videos are amazing.
Thank you so much. My harmony exam is this week and i'm very nervous. You videos help a lot!!
@@TLllllll depends on previous notes. Like in one bar that ends, you can resolve up or down a step, you can start on a chord tone or chromatic note, chord scale tone, etc there are a lot of options really but is also depends on underlying harmony and the cadence of the progression currently. If you get quite far in theory every scale degree and the transitions into differeny scale degree all have a purpose and can spend a lot of time on the theory of one single scale tone, then you have the current scale tone and the theory or transitioning into tensions or chromatic notes, etc. It gets very dense and difficult after a few years of theory but if you dont want to be a master's degree or higher level music educator ( professor that teaches masters and PHD level students) you don't have to get in the theory of every scale degree and many other topics in theory but a basic foundation is always good and then just add to that a bit at a time I would recommend learning and memorizing triads and major scales , also memorizing their notes first then go into 7th chord like major, minor, dominant and minor 7b5 (7th chords) all keys, learn different cadences or I-IV-V or II-V-I progressions , etc and learn arpeggios for the chords I mentioned the 7th chords. Soloing over the chord progressions and also get into voice leading and harmonic and melodic minor scales and common chord progressions, pick up some jazz harmony books and get into counterpoint, Bach has a lot of great counterpoint examples you can buy sight reading books and books about all of that also.
thank you !
I love your videos! Your narration, bullet points, and music notation are the right balance. Don't stop the videos! Thank you.
Thanks for watching :)
Dr. Kati Meyer Music Theory boooo
More videos please
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.
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!
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?
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.
@@DrKatiMeyerMusicTheory YES, it does. Thank you for all your help and amazing videos.
How would you label the second note of the opening notes of 'She'll BE coming round the mountain' - so LA do'.....? Thank you!
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?
@@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'!😁🦈
@@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.
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!
“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!
I like ants
No offense, but please check the audio and sound, thank you! :)
lol, yeah it's all distorted and out of key
if you don't mind explaining. why should we use those techniques in our playing?
Tonal harmony labels only apply to common-practice Western Art music. If you’re playing music from 1700-1900, you should use these methods.