offnote

Offnote is an informal term used in music to describe a note that does not align with the intended pitch, scale, or harmonic context of a performance. It is not a standard technical term in music theory, but it appears in reviews, instruction, and discussions about performance practice to describe notes that sound out of tune, out of key, or otherwise discordant in relation to the surrounding music.

In vocal and instrumental performance, an offnote may result from imperfect intonation, inaccurate pitch perception, or technical limitations. In ensemble playing, an offnote can disrupt alignment with other parts, prompting adjustments to tuning or articulation. In popular music and live performance, audiences may perceive offnotes as mistakes or expressive deviations; musicians sometimes correct them or embrace them depending on style and intent.

Intentionally used offnotes appear in certain genres as expressive devices—slightly detuned notes, microtonal approaches, or chromatic passing tones that momentarily depart from the harmony. Blues, jazz, and experimental music often blur the line between offnote and deliberate color, though some listeners and practitioners reserve “offnote” for notes heard as out of tune rather than as intentional color.

Because offnote is informal, it lacks a formal definition or measurement standard, and opinions about what constitutes an offnote can vary by musical culture, instrument, and listener expectations. In education and notation, more precise terms such as out of tune, wrong pitch, or non-chord tone are typically used to describe specific phenomena.