key term - Escape Tone

Definition

An escape tone is a type of embellishing tone that is approached by a melodic leap from a chord tone and resolved by stepping to an adjacent chord tone. It adds expressiveness and interest to melodies by creating brief moments of tension. This technique contrasts with other embellishing tones, such as passing tones, which connect two chord tones in a linear fashion.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Escape tones are typically approached by a leap, often creating a moment of tension before resolving stepwise to a nearby chord tone.
2. They are usually not emphasized as much as appoggiaturas; escape tones often occur on weaker beats or offbeats in the musical phrase.
3. The interval between the escape tone and the chord tone it resolves to can vary, but it generally involves a stepwise motion.
4. Escape tones can enrich melodies and create a sense of movement, contributing to the overall flow of a musical line.
5. Composers frequently use escape tones to create emotional depth and complexity within melodic lines, making them an essential part of harmonic and melodic development.

Review Questions

• How do escape tones differ from other embellishing tones like neighbor tones and passing tones in their function and resolution?
  • Escape tones differ from neighbor tones and passing tones in how they are approached and resolved. While neighbor tones return to the original chord tone after moving away by step, and passing tones connect two chord tones with stepwise motion, escape tones leap away from a chord tone before resolving stepwise back to another chord tone. This creates a unique moment of tension that adds interest to the melody, enhancing its expressiveness.
• Discuss the role of escape tones in shaping the emotional character of a melody and their placement within musical phrases.
  • Escape tones play a significant role in shaping the emotional character of a melody by introducing brief moments of tension before resolving to stable chord tones. Their placement often occurs on weaker beats or offbeats, allowing for a smoother transition back to the main harmonic structure. By adding these embellishments, composers can heighten the expressive quality of their music, creating contrast and movement within the melodic line.
• Evaluate how escape tones contribute to harmonic progression and tension in a composition, using specific examples from known pieces.
  • Escape tones contribute to harmonic progression and tension by creating moments where the listener's expectation is momentarily disrupted before resolution occurs. For example, in Beethoven's piano sonatas, you might find escape tones leading into important chord changes, where the leap creates anticipation. This technique not only adds complexity to the melody but also enriches the overall harmonic texture of the piece. By evaluating these instances, one can appreciate how effectively composers use escape tones to enhance both emotional impact and structural coherence within their works.

Related terms

Neighbor Tone: A neighbor tone is an embellishing tone that moves away from a chord tone by step, then returns to the original chord tone.

Appoggiatura: An appoggiatura is a non-chord tone that is approached by leap and resolved to a chord tone, often receiving more emphasis than escape tones.

Passing Tone: A passing tone is an embellishing tone that connects two chord tones by filling in the space between them with a stepwise motion.