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9b Lesson - Using Non-Chord Tones to Inform Harmonic Analysis

Now that we have the tools to understand and classify harmonies, we can analyze almost any piece of music written using the diatonic system. Of course, analysis implies a deeper understanding than simply labeling chords, but to begin this process, we must start with that basic idea.

When looking at a piece of music, the first step to labeling chords must be to sort which tones are functional and which are embellishments. The non-chord tones described in the previous topic can be combined with our rudimentary knowledge of common chord progressions in order to help in this differentiation. As always, chorales are the easiest place to begin understanding these patterns, but these principles can be applied to any piece of diatonic music because these non-chord tones reflect the patterns necessary to navigate tertiary harmony.

In short, creating harmony from stacked thirds produces a limited number of functional melodic patterns. Non-chord tones help us identify these.

Examples

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