Non-chord Tones &An Introduction to

ModesMusic Studies 1

Non-Chord Tones

Chord Tones• A chord tone is a note that is part of a chord.

• e.g. the chord tones for a major seventh chord are the root, 3rd, 5th and 7th.

Cmaj7

7531

Non-Chord Tones• Non-chord tones are notes that are NOT in the

chord.

• The following table illustrates the diatonic non-chord tones for Cmaj7 (in the key of C major).

Scale degree 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Cmaj7Chord tones

C E G B

Cmaj7Diatonic

Non-chord tones

D F A

Non-chord tones - Tensions•If we extend any chord by adding pitches following the cycle

of 3rds as far as possible without repeating a pitch, we arrive at the tensions.

•These extensions to the chords (the non-chord tones) are called “tensions”.

•They are not referred to as the scale degrees 2, 4 6, but rather 9, 11 & 13.

13119b75b31

131197531

b13119b75b31

Cmaj13 Dm13 Am13

Tensions• Tensions EXTEND the chord.

• Rather than being called the 2nd, 4th and 6th scale degrees, they are referred to as the 9th, 11th and 13th.

Scale degree 1 9 3 11 5 13 7

Cmaj7Chord tones

C E G B

Cmaj7Diatonic

Non-chord tones

D F A

Tensions (Harmony text p36-39)

• Tensions create a ‘tense’ intervallic relationship with the chord tones of the chord.

• Tensions ‘spice’ up or add colour to chords - WITHOUT DISRUPTING THE FUNCTION OF THE CHORD

• If you put all the chord tones and tensions of a chord in alphabetical order, you would have a scale, but separated by 3rds.

Available Tensions• In general - available tensions are those

that sound good with the chord.

• If there is a whole step between a chord tone and the tension above it, the tension is said to be ‘available’ as it doesn’t create a half-step clash.

• i.e. in C major, the available tensions on the Cmaj7 chord are the 9th & 13th. These are both a whole step above the 1st & 5th chord tones.

Scale degree 1 9 3 11 5 13 7

Cmaj7Chord tones

C E G B

Non-chord tones D✓ F✗ A✓

Unavailable Tensions• In the key of C - F is unavailable over

Cmaj7 Em7 and Am7 as it is only a 1/2 step above the E in each chord.

• Also remember - the 4th degree of the scale is an unavailable tension over the tonic functioning chords.

• In the key of C major, the F will clash with the ‘E’ in each of the tonic functioning chords. i.e. in C major chords Em7 & Am7.

Scale degree 1 9 3 11 5 13 7

Cmaj7Chord tones C E G B

Non-chord tones D✓ F✗ A✓

• i.e. In Em7, neither the b9 or the b13 are available tensions.

Scale degree 1 b9 b3 11 5 b13 b7

Em7Chord tones E G B D

Non-chord tones F✗ A✓ C✗

i.e. In Am7, the b13 is an unavailable tension.

Scale degree 1 9 b3 11 5 b13 b7

Am7Chord tones A C E G

Non-chord tones B✓ D✓ F✗

• In a major key signature, the 13 is normally UNAVAILABLE in a IIm7 chord as it creates a TRITONE with the b3.

• i.e. in the key of C major, the 13 is an unavailable tension in the Dm7 chord, as a tritone exists between the chord tone of F and the tension of B.

• A tritone has dominant function - to be avoided on a tonic functioning chord.

Scale degree 1 9 b3 11 5 13 b7

Dm7Chord tones D F A C

Non-chord tones E✓ G✓ B✗

TRITONE!!!

• Use the 13, but only as a passing note.

• Don’t SIT on the note over the chord.

Scale degree 1 9 b3 11 5 13 b7

Dm7Chord tones D F A C

Non-chord tones E✓ G✓ B✗

TRITONE!!!

There are exceptions to every rule.

It is important that you play and listen to the tensions, while referring to the material on pages 36 - 39 of the Harmony Textbook.

Chord Symbols with Tensions

• Cmaj9 - infers that the 7th and 9th are included in the chord.

• Cmaj11 - infers that the 7th, 9th and 11th are included in the chord.

• Cmaj13 - infers that the 7th, 9th, 11th and 13th are all included in the chord.

• Cmaj7(13) - infers that the 7th is included in the chord, and the only tension included in the chord is the 13th. Not the 9th or 11th.

• Cmaj7( ) - infers the Cmaj7 chord is being played with the 9th and 13th tensions, but not the 11th.

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The Quality of the Tension

• Don’t forget to consider the quality of the tension in regards to the root of the chord.

• Dm7 chord = 1, b3, 5, b7, 9, 11, 13.

13119

b75

b31

Dm13

Tensions are like decorations on the

cake…

Chord tones

Tensions

Modes

Pythagoras• Modes were the precursor to the

modern scale.

• Pythagoras of Greece divided the octave into what we now know as the Major Scale, which he called the Ionian Mode.

• Quote “A mode was essentially a fixed scheme for the arrangement of the notes of an octave”. Unquote - World Music, Sandved p1327

The Modes• The Greeks used Pythagoras’ scale in 7 different ways

(modes), which were named after the old Greek provinces –

• Dorians, Locris (central Greece), Phrygia & Lydia (Asia Minor) etc.

Map showing the major regions of mainland ancient

Greece, and adjacent “barbarian” lands (wikipedia)

• The modes ceased to dominate music towards the end of the 15th century.

• In Western Europe, the use of the modes decreased with the use of equal temperament (as demonstrated by J.S. Bach in his 48 Preludes & Fugues).

• Temperament meaning ‘system of tuning’. ‘Pure intonation’ is a musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers.

• Equal temperament, is a system of tuning in which all notes are defined as multiples of the same basic interval. Equal temperament is an unnatural manipulation of the pitches of the harmonic series.

• Equal temperament gave musicians & composers the ability to easily modulate between major and minor keys within one piece of music. (The Chinese discovered Equal Temperament 2000 years ago and decided against using it).

• At the beginning of the 20th Century composers began to look to the modes once again to construct their music.

• To understand the modes, all you need to do is ‘modalise’ the major scale. A mode displaces where in the major scale you begin and end.

• The modes are seven different ways of playing a major scale.

• The Ionian mode (major scale) ‘unlocks’ all of the other modes.

C Ionian C D E F G A B C

D Dorian D E F G A B C DE

Phrygian E F G A B C D E

F Lydian F G A B C D E FG

Mixolydian

G A B C D E F G

A Aeolian A B C D E F G A

B Locrian B C D E F G A B

Remembering the ModesUse the mnemonic below to help remember the order of the

modes.

Think of each mode as a scale degree of the Ionian mode.

I Ionian III Dorian Don’t III Phrygian ParticularlyIV Lydian LikeV Mixolydian ModesVI Aeolian A VII Locrian Lot

C Ionian C D E F G A B C

D Dorian D E F G A B C DE

Phrygian E F G A B C D E

F Lydian F G A B C D E FG

Mixolydian

G A B C D E F G

A Aeolian A B C D E F G A

B Locrian B C D E F G A B

e.g. E Phrygian. The Phrygian mode is built upon the 3rd degree of the Ionian mode. If E is the 3rd note of an Ionian mode (major scale) that

Ionian mode must be C Ionian (C major scale).

Therefore E Phrygian could be thought of as the C major scale played from E - E.

Modes Related to C Ionian (C major)

Modes in the Key of D Major

D Ionian D E F# G A B C# D

E Dorian E F# G A B C# D EF#

Phrygian F# G A B C# D E F#

G Lydian G A B C# D E F# GA

Mixolydian

A B C# D E F# G A

B Aeolian B C# D E F# G A B

C# Locrian C# D E F# G A B C#

e.g. F# Phrygian. The Phrygian mode is built upon the 3rd degree of the Ionian mode. If F# is the 3rd note of an Ionian mode (major scale) that

Ionian mode must be D Ionian (D major scale).

Therefore F# Phrygian could be thought of as the D major scale played from F# - F#.

Modes Related to D Ionian (D major)

The name of the mode relates to the scale degree of the Ionian Mode.

i.e. Lydian is the 4th degree of the Ionian mode.

Therefore G Lydian means the G is the 4th scale degree of the original Ionian mode. Therefore G Lydian is derived from D Ionian.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 1

1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 1

1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1

1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 1

e.g. G Lydian.

The Lydian mode is built upon the 4th

degree of the Ionian mode. If G is the 4th degree of an Ionian mode (major scale)

then that Ionian mode must be D Ionian (D major

scale).

G Lydian could be thought of as the D major scale played

from G - G.

Mode Scale Degrees

I Ionian 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

II Dorian 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 1

III Phrygian 1 b2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

IV Lydian 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 1

V Mixolydian 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1

VI Aeolian 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 1

VII Locrian 1 b2 b3 4 b5 b6 b7 1

Another way to remember the modes, is to relate them to their parallel major scale.

e.g. to write the G mixolydian scale, write the G major scale, and then lower the 7th note from an F# to an F (see the next slide).

G major scale

G mixolydian

G A B C D E F# G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

G A B C D E F G

1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 1

To determine the modality of a given piece of music, follow these steps...

1 2 4 5 b3 2 1 b7 1 2 b3 4 5 6 4 b3 2 1

1 What accidentals, if any, are being used? Bb

2 What major key signature has only Bb? F major.

3If the key signature was F major, one would expect the tonic (Do) to be F. However this example indicates the tonic to be G. i.e. the music begins and ends on a G note - in which case

we would expect to see an F#.

4 The 2nd degree of any major scale is the root note of which mode? Dorian

5The Dorian mode has a b3 and a b7. Completing a melodic

analysis of the music will reveal that this G scale has a b3 and a b7.

6 The Dorian mode has a b3 and a b7. Therefore this example is written in which key?

G Dorian

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

VII

Minor(Blues feel)

Major

Minor

Major (maj7)

Dom (V7)

NaturalMinor

Minor

Leonard Bernstein

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygn7ORgPbEE

• Songs useing different modes. i.e. Beatles “Help” in Mixolydian mode.

• Norwegian Wood - Mixolydian mode

Non-Chord Tones• In the example below, the chord tones are

coloured red, and the diatonic non-chord tones are in green.

• In this example, the black notes are the chromatic non-diatonic non-chord tones.

Non-chord tones• The chord tones of the Am7 chord are A C E G

• The diatonic non-chord tones are B D F.