MUSC 132 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Counterpoint, Leading-Tone, Basionym
Document Summary
Embellishing a harmonic framework: embellishing tones, pitches from outside the underlying harmony, decorate chord tones in specific ways (e. g. as passing tones, neighbor tones, or suspensions). Though they may be consonant or dissonant, the majority are dissonant, adding flavor and interest to the consonant intervals in the chords. Skip of a third, consider adding a passing tone; Skip of a fourth, consider adding two passing tones, one unaccented and one accented; Repeated pitch, consider adding a neighbor tones; Descending step, you may be able to add a suspension. Check the intervals made by any embellishing tone to confirm that its addition does not create voice-leading problems. The 7-6 suspension usually resolves to a first-inversion chord. The 4-3 and 9-8 usually resolve to a root-position chord, though first inversion is also possible. Suspensions with change of bass: in baroque-era compositions with an active bass line, sometimes the bass note changes before a suspension in an upper part resolves.
