Unprepared Dissonances in Music, Appoggiatura, Passing Tones, and More!

Unprepared dissonances are fundamental concepts in advanced music theory, particularly in tonal and modal analysis.
These dissonances include passing tones, appoggiaturas, escape tones, neighbour tones, and anticipations, each contributing to melodic tension and resolution.

Passing tones create linear movement between harmonic tones, while appoggiaturas emphasize expressive leaps followed by stepwise resolution.

Escape tones and neighbour tones, classified as embellishing notes, add chromatic or diatonic color by departing from and returning to structural tones.

Anticipations function as preemptive harmonic arrivals, enhancing cadential moments.

Understanding unprepared dissonances is crucial for analyzing Renaissance and Baroque polyphony, Classical counterpoint, and modern harmonic language.

_____
#partimenti #composition #harmony #counterpoint #harpsichord #bassocontinuo #fugue #throughbass #figuredbass #sonata #bach #organ #orgue #clavecin #clavicembalo #furno #improvisation #prelude #praeludium #handel #vivaldi #mozart #musictheory #baroque #galantschemata #theartofpartimento #major #keys #intervals #octave #ruleoftheoctave #modulations

[Sean-fte]

great video, thanks very much Richardus. Vital stuff.

[johnrothfield]

In listening to a (good) performance, isn't it obvious to the ear the types of unprepared dissonance that are in the piece? Because the instrumentalist treats them differently (violin, voice, for example).