Passing Notes or Not?

[4tune]

Hi, I am doing a bit of brushing up on my music theory and was wondering if anyone could help with this question.

In the piano part what would be the analysis of the lower e and the c notes [highlighted orange]. The other orange notes I guess you would call passing notes [g and e] over a Bb chord?



Thanks

[PaulSC]

Eb and G on the downbeat are appogiaturas (accented incomplete upper neighbors). C and Eb a beat later are (accented) passing tones.

[4tune]

Ok thanks PaulSC

All the examples in the theory book I am using show single passing notes and appogiaturas. I wan't sure when put in thirds like this whether that still held as the passing note then to the ear seems 'harmonized'

Thanks for clearing this up.

edit: what do you mean by "accented incomplete upper neighbors" ?

regards

[PaulSC]

"accented incomplete upper neighbors" is just an informal definition of "appogiaturas." Some theorists prefer to think of all non-chord tones as the product of suspension, neighboring, and/or passing relations, so I restated it that way in case your text didn't use the term "appogiaturas."

[4tune]

I see,

thanks

[DrawMusic]

I would call the chord for the 1st half of msr 2 Cm/Bb, making the orange notes chord tones and the black notes on beat 1+1/2 passing tones.

[4tune]

I would call the chord for the 1st half of msr 2 Cm/Bb, making the orange notes chord tones and the black notes on beat 1+1/2 passing tones.

This is what I can find confusing when defining passing notes and chords. It can often be looked at more than one way. So does it come down to 'feel' over analysis? To me that whole bar 'feels' like Bb major. But I can see your point.

Is there a way to define these matters analytically?

[Ogg Vorbis]

I would call the chord for the 1st half of msr 2 Cm/Bb, making the orange notes chord tones and the black notes on beat 1+1/2 passing tones.

This is what I can find confusing when defining passing notes and chords. It can often be looked at more than one way. So does it come down to 'feel' over analysis? To me that whole bar 'feels' like Bb major. But I can see your point.

Is there a way to define these matters analytically?

There is a literal analysis, which may or may have usefulness and then there is the functional analysis which tells you how something contributes to a specific tonality.

To say that the orange notes are chord tones and that they can be described as a Cm triad with a Bb in the bass is technically true. However, to analyze a casserole and say that it contains trace elements of iron oxide from the dish would also be true. However, it offers no real insight into why the casserole tastes good (people cannot taste minute amounts of rust).

So I think you have to go into the experience of the music and ask, "Does this function like an ornamented tonic harmony or does it really function like a supertonic triad with a ground bass note?"

In my hearing, it's tonic all the way. The bass notes contribute to the tonic harmony, and so do upper notes.

A "valid" analysis is not always a useful analysis. To me, analysis should not serve itself. It should support what you are hearing.

[wrench45us]

I'm also of the belief that as long as the bass/root notes aren't changing it's best not to make too much of what's going on in that treble -- variations on a single root

[4tune]

Thanks for the answers,

that has helped flesh it out a bit more for me.