Escape Notes (Non-Harmonic Tones) - Music Theory
TLDRIn this educational video, Gareth explores the concept of the echappée, known as an escape note or tone in English and American musical traditions, respectively. Classified as an inessential note, the echappée doesn't belong to the prevailing chord but adds expressive nuance to the music. Gareth elucidates on its characteristics: it is a neighboring, unaccented note, typically moving up from the previous note, and is followed by a leap downwards. Through examples in D major, he demonstrates auxiliary, passing, and anticipatory notes, showing how these inessential notes enhance musical composition. This video aims to demystify the echappée, making it accessible for composers and musicians keen on enriching their musical language.
Takeaways
- 😀 An echappée (escape note) is an inessential note that doesn't belong to the prevailing chord.
- 👂 It must be a neighboring note that does not leap off.
- 🎶 It is always unaccented, coming between beats rather than on beats.
- ↗️ It normally moves up in pitch from the previous note.
- ⬇️ It is normally followed by a downward leap to the next note.
- 🎹 Other examples of inessential notes: auxiliary notes, passing tones, anticipatory notes.
- 📝 Inessential notes can add interest when writing or playing music.
- 😕 People are often unfamiliar with the echappée compared to other inessential notes.
- 🔎 If you see a note that doesn't seem to belong, check if it's an echappée or other inessential note.
- 🤓 Understanding echappées and other inessential notes allows deeper analysis of music.
Q & A
What are some other names for an echappée or escape note?
-An echappée is also known as an escape note or escape tone. It may be called an echappée in the English tradition or an escape tone in the American tradition.
What does Gareth mean when he says a note is 'inessential'?
-An inessential note is one that does not belong to the prevailing chord. For example, in the key of D major, the notes D, F#, and A belong to the D major chord. Any other notes would be considered inessential.
What are some examples of inessential notes?
-Examples of inessential notes include auxiliary notes, passing notes/tones, anticipatory notes, and echappées/escape notes.
What are the four defining characteristics of an echappée?
-The four characteristics of an echappée are: 1) It is a neighboring note that does not belong to the chord, 2) It is unaccented, coming between beats, 3) It is preceded by step from the previous note, and 4) It is normally followed by a downward leap.
Why are echappées and other inessential notes useful?
-Inessential notes like echappées add melodic interest and provide smooth voice leading between chord tones. They decorate the melody without distorting the underlying harmony.
What is the difference between an auxiliary note and a passing note?
-An auxiliary note is an upper or lower neighbor tone that decorates a single chord tone. A passing note connects two chord tones a step apart by filling in the space between them.
Are there any exceptions to the 'rules' of the echappée?
-The 'rules' describe typical usage but there can be occasional exceptions. For example, an echappée could potentially occur on a beat or leap down instead of up, though this is less common.
Why does Gareth say the echappée 'nearly always' leaps downwards after appearing?
-The downward leap resolves the tension of the dissonant echappée by moving back to a chord tone. This resolution is typical but not absolutely mandatory.
What is an anticipatory note?
-An anticipatory note is a non-chord tone that occurs before a chord change, anticipating the next harmony. For example, sounding a D before an A major chord changes to D major.
How can you identify inessential notes when analyzing a score?
-Look at the prevailing harmony and chord tones. Notes that don't belong to the current chord are likely inessential tones like auxiliary notes, passing tones, echappées, etc. Their function is melodic rather than harmonic.
Outlines
😊 Defining Inessential Notes and Introducing the 'Echappée'
Paragraph 1 introduces the concept of inessential notes that don't belong to the prevailing chord. It then focuses on defining the 'echappée' (escape note), providing key characteristics - it's a neighboring note that doesn't belong to the chord, is unaccented between beats, preceded by step from previous note, normally moves up, and is followed by a downward leap.
😃 Recapping Key Traits of the 'Echappée'
Paragraph 2 recaps the key traits of the 'echappée' - it's a neighboring note not belonging to the chord, unaccented between beats, preceded by step, normally moves up, and followed by a downward leap. It encourages using 'echappées' when writing or analyzing music.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡echappée
💡inessential note
💡auxiliary note
💡passing note
💡anticipatory note
💡neighboring note
💡unaccented
💡stepwise motion
💡upward motion
💡leap downward
Highlights
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Transcripts
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