AP Music Theory: Non-Chord Tones - Your Ultimate Review 🎶

Hey there, future maestro! 👋 Ready to nail those non-chord tones? This guide is your backstage pass to acing the AP Music Theory exam. Let's make sure you're not just memorizing, but truly understanding these crucial concepts. We'll break it down, connect the dots, and get you feeling confident. Let's dive in!

Non-Chord Tones: Beyond Stepwise Motion

Why Non-Chord Tones Matter

• Melody isn't just about chord tones. Non-chord tones add spice, tension, and forward motion. Think of them as the secret ingredients that make music interesting!
• They help you create more expressive and engaging melodies. They're not just decorations; they're essential for musical storytelling.

Anticipation Tones

What are Anticipation Tones?

• Definition: A chord tone that arrives early, just before the actual chord change. It's like a sneak peek of the upcoming harmony.
• Effect: Creates tension and a sense of anticipation (hence the name!). It's often used right before a resolution.
• Rhythm: Always unaccented, occurring before the beat.

Example:

• In a V-I cadence, the tonic note in the melody might appear slightly before the I chord arrives.

*Image via http://elliotthauser.com/openmusictheory/embellishingTones.html*

Escape Tones

What are Escape Tones?

• Definition: A non-chord tone that moves stepwise from a chord tone and then leaps to the next chord tone. Think of it as a quick detour before getting back on track.
• Relation to Neighbor Tones: Like incomplete neighbor tones, but they resolve by leap, not step.
• Types:
  • Upper Escape Tone: Steps up from a chord tone, then leaps down.
  • Lower Escape Tone: Steps down from a chord tone, then leaps up.

Voice Leading Rule:

• Important! Resolve escape tones by a leap in the opposite direction of the step. (Up-step, down-leap; down-step, up-leap).
• Exception: Arpeggiation is not a non-chord tone. If the note is part of the chord, it's an arpeggiation, not an escape tone.

Example:

*Image via Wikipedia*

Appoggiaturas

What are Appoggiaturas?

• Definition: A non-chord tone that is approached by a leap and resolves by step. Often described as a 'leaning' note.
• Effect: Adds dissonance and tension, creating a sense of movement and resolution.
• Types:
  • Short Appoggiaturas: Very brief, often considered rhythmically negligible.
  • Long Appoggiaturas: Longer duration, may involve multiple notes.
  • Dissonant Appoggiaturas: Not part of the chord, creating tension.
  • Consonant Appoggiaturas: Part of the chord, creating a smoother transition.

Rhythm

• Usually, appoggiaturas are played before the beat, but there's some debate. Context matters!

Example:

*Image via harmony.org*

Pedal Points

What are Pedal Points?

• Definition: A sustained note (usually in the bass) that is held while the harmony changes above it. It's like a musical anchor.
• Effect: Creates tension and dissonance, often with an eerie quality. Think of it as a constant drone against a changing backdrop.
• Types:
  • Harmonic Pedal Points: Part of the chord progression.
  • Non-Harmonic Pedal Points: Not part of the chord progression, creating more dissonance.

Usage

• Common in fugues, creating a sense of stability and continuity.

Example:

*Image via Music Theory Academy*

• AP questions often combine multiple concepts. Be ready to identify different types of non-chord tones within a single passage.
• Practice writing your own melodies using these non-chord tones to solidify your understanding.

Final Exam Focus

High-Priority Topics:

• Identifying different types of non-chord tones in a musical score.
• Understanding the function of each non-chord tone (tension, resolution, etc.).
• Applying voice leading rules when writing melodies with non-chord tones.
• Recognizing pedal points and their impact on harmony.

Common Question Types:

• Multiple Choice: Identifying non-chord tones in short musical examples.
• Free Response: Writing melodies with specific non-chord tones, analyzing a score for non-chord tones and their effect.

Last-Minute Tips:

• Time Management: Don't get bogged down on a single question. Move on and come back if needed.
• Common Pitfalls: Double-check your voice leading rules, especially for escape tones. Don't confuse appoggiaturas with other non-chord tones.
• Strategies: Annotate the score! Circle non-chord tones, label them, and think about their function.

Practice Question

Practice Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In a melodic line, a note that is approached by leap and resolved by step is called: (A) an anticipation tone (B) an escape tone (C) an appoggiatura (D) a pedal point

2. Which of the following non-chord tones is always unaccented? (A) an anticipation tone (B) an escape tone (C) an appoggiatura (D) a pedal point

3. A sustained note, usually in the bass, that is held while the harmony changes above it is called: (A) an anticipation tone (B) an escape tone (C) an appoggiatura (D) a pedal point

Free Response Question

Instructions: Analyze the following four-part harmonization in C major. Identify all non-chord tones, labeling each with its type (passing tone, neighbor tone, anticipation tone, escape tone, appoggiatura, or pedal point). Describe the effect of these non-chord tones on the melody and harmony. Explain how the non-chord tones contribute to the overall musical expression of the passage. (10 points)

[Insert a short musical example here, for example, a four-bar phrase in C major with a few non-chord tones in the soprano and bass lines. Let's assume the example is a simple progression: I - V6 - I64 - V - I, with a passing tone in the soprano between I and V6, an escape tone in the soprano in I64, and a pedal point on C in the bass throughout the progression.]

Scoring Breakdown:

• Identification of Non-Chord Tones (5 points):
  • 1 point for each correct identification of a non-chord tone (passing tone, escape tone, pedal point).
  • 1 point deduction for each incorrect identification or for missing a non-chord tone.
• Description of Effect (3 points):
  • 1 point for describing the effect of the passing tone on the melody.
  • 1 point for describing the effect of the escape tone on the melody.
  • 1 point for describing the effect of the pedal point on the harmony.
• Contribution to Musical Expression (2 points):
  • 2 points for explaining how the non-chord tones contribute to the overall musical expression of the passage (e.g., creating tension, forward motion, or resolution).

Let's get you ready to rock this exam! You've got this! 💪