Chapter+13

Anticipation: An embellishing tone whose pitch of resolution arrives 'early'. An anticipation is unaccented, and almost always a dissonance. It does not resolve by step; it is repeated as a consonance on the next beat, where it 'belongs'.

Compound Melody: A melody created by the interaction of two or three voices, usually separated by register. Often features large leaps. It expresses two distinct musical lines embedded within a single melody.

Consonant Skip: Another term for chordal skip; a melodic embellishment made by skipping from one chord member to another.

Double Neighbor: The combination of successive upper and lower neighbors around the same pitch.

Double Passing tone: Passing tones that occur simultaneously in two or more voices, usually creating parallel thirds or sixths.

Incomplete Neighbor: A neighbor tone minus either the initial motion from the main pitch to the neighbor, or the returning motion of the neighbor to the main pitch.

Neighbor tone: An embellishment that decorates a melody pitch by moving to a pitch a step above or below it, then returning to the original pitch. Neighbor tones are approached and left by step, in opposite directions.

Passing tone: A melodic embellishment that fills in the space between chord members by stepwise motion. It is approached by step and left by step in the same direction.

Pedal Point: A note held for several measures while harmonies change above it. Chords above a pedal point do not participate in the harmonic framework.

Retardation: A rhythmic embellishment where a consonance is held over to the next beat, creating a dissonance with the new harmony. The dissonance is resolved upward by step, creating another consonant interval.

Suspension: A rhythmic embellishment where a consonance is held over to the next beat, creating a dissonance with the new harmony. The dissonance is resolved downward by step, creating another consonant interval. Suspensions are designated by intervals above the bass. The most common intervals are 7-6, 4-3, and 9-8.

Suspension Chain: A combined succession of suspensions, sometime of a single type (same interval suspensions), or an alternation of two kinds. The resolution of each suspension prepares the next one.

Suspension with change of bass: A suspension with a change in bass; when intervals are considered from the bass note, it may not be a suspension in the technical definition of the word - when considered from the initial bass pitch, the suspension is apparent.

Questions: 1. What are the three steps necessary to write a suspension? Preparation, suspension, resolution. In this three stage process, the suspension is prepared by a consonance and resolves into a consonance.

2. What are the most common suspension types? How might they be ornamented? The most common dissonant suspension types are 9-8, 7-6, and 4-3. Also common is the bass suspension, which is usually seen as a 2-3 or 9-10 suspension, and the consonant suspension, 6-5, above the bass. Suspensions may be embellished before the resolution, on the dissonant suspended tone, and not the tone of resolution.

3. What embellishments are available in four voices that we did not use in two voices? The embellishments available in four voices that we did not use in two voices include the suspension, retardation, anticipation, and pedal point.

4. Try to find an example of an ornamented suspension, an anticipation, and a pedal point in music you know. (If possible attach a copy of that music).