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If every note of a melody had to belong to the current chord, music would quickly become strumming. Non-chord tones break that limit: a note outside the prevailing harmony appears in the melody (or an inner voice) and by convention resolves within a short time.
They let melody and harmony become two lines that need not coincide exactly — the basis of contrapuntal thinking.
The common types
| Name | How it appears | Example (over C–E–G) |
|---|---|---|
| passing tone | fills the step between two chord tones | C–D–E |
| neighbour tone | leaves a chord tone and returns to it | E–F–E |
| appoggiatura | a foreign note on a strong beat, resolving by step | F → E (entered on the beat) |
| suspension | a note from the previous chord held over, then resolved | see [[concept:suspended-chord |
| anticipation | a note of the next chord arriving early | A appearing over C–E–G |
| escape tone | entered by step, left by leap | C–D → B |
Three conventions
1. Short duration — foreign notes are usually shorter than the chord tones either side; 2. On a weak beat (appoggiaturas and suspensions excepted) — a foreign note on a strong beat needs an explicit resolution and demands more care; 3. Enter and leave by step — approaching or quitting a foreign note by leap makes it sound like a chord tone and destroys the distinction.
Why they matter
| Role | Explanation |
|---|---|
| melodic freedom | the melody need not be locked to the chord; it can move by step and breathe on its own |
| local tension | the foreign note collides with a chord tone, creating brief dissonance that is then released |
| linking harmony | an anticipation can announce the next chord and keep the progression flowing |
In one line: non-chord tones are the technique that lets melody refuse to give way to harmony. Without them a melody is only an arpeggio. (For the melodic layer, see melody.)
Diagram: foreign notes pull the two lines apart
Listen: the effect of foreign notes
Use the chord player to hear a triad's chord tones (melody as an arpeggio), then imagine passing notes inserted into the same melodic frame — the point of a foreign note is that the melody stops sounding like a broken chord.
Common misconceptions
- "A foreign note is a wrong note." It has defined types and resolution rules; it is a compositional device, not a mistake.
- "Foreign notes appear only in the melody." Inner voices have them too, and handle them more strictly, since a clash is easier to hear there.
- "A foreign note may linger." Convention keeps it short and resolved by step; held for long it becomes a chord tone or a suspension.
- "With foreign notes the harmony stops mattering." The opposite: they must resolve according to the harmony, or they will sound like errors.
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Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- 和弦外音指不属于当前和声的旋律音，常见类型（经过音、辅助音、倚音、延留音、先现音、 Escape tone）为通行和声学表述
- 外音须按惯例解决、且通常出现在弱拍或短时值上，属对位与和声写作通则
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.