nonharm

Nonharmonic tones are notes that occur in a melodic line while the underlying harmony provides the chordal context, but the tone itself does not function as a chord tone of that moment. In tonal music, these tones briefly create dissonance and color within a harmonic framework and tend to resolve to a chord tone, contributing to melodic interest without changing the harmony.

Common types include passing tones, which connect two chord tones by step; neighbor tones, which approach a chord tone by step and then leave by step in the opposite direction; suspensions, where a note from the preceding harmony is held into the new chord and resolves downward by step; retardations, which resolve upward by step; anticipations, which arrive early and belong to the next harmony; appoggiaturas, which are often accented, approached by leap and resolved by step; escape tones, approached by step and left by a leap in the opposite direction; and more complex figures such as double neighbors and cambiatas.

In analysis, nonharmonic tones are examined by their melodic function, resolution, and relation to the accompaniment. They may be diatonic or chromatic, and most styles expect dissonances created by nonharmonic tones to resolve to consonant chord tones, often by step. Proper use of nonharmonic tones enhances melodic line quality and reinforces voice-leading without permanently altering the established harmony.