You can use tones from within the chords (called, as we mentioned, chord
tones) and string these tones together in various ways using non-chord tones.
Some of the techniques for stringing together different melody notes are cov-
ered in Chapter 8. Here we cover some more techniques.First, let’s give an example of a simple chord progression that we can use to
extract some structural tones from (Figure 10-24).Now we extract a melody from these chords using only notes from within
each chord — the chord tones (Figure 10-25).Now let’s add some passing tones. Remember that passing tones close the
gaps between structural tones. They make disjunct melodies more conjuct.
Passing tones go in steps and end up stepping into the next structural tone
(Figure 10-26).&b 4
(^4) ̇ ̇
̇ œ Œ ̇ ̇ ̇ Ó ̇ ̇ ̇. Œ
Figure 10-25:
Extracting
chord tones
from a chord
progression.
&
?
b
b
4
4
4
4
̇ ̇
̇
̇ ̇
̇
FBb
̇ ̇
̇ ̇
̇
œœ
œ
Œ
C Dm
̇ œŒ
̇ ̇
̇
̇ ̇
̇
Bb C
̇ ̇
̇ ̇
̇
Ó
Dm
̇Ó
̇ ̇
̇
̇ ̇
̇
Bb C
̇ ̇
..
.
̇ ̇
̇
Œ
F
̇.
Œ
Figure 10-24:
Seeing
structural
tones in a
simple
chord
progression.
118 Part III: Harmony and Structure