Chord tone
A note that belongs to the chord being played, such as its root, third, fifth or seventh.
Chord tones are the notes that sound resolved against the harmony, and they are the landmarks players aim for when improvising: a phrase that lands on a chord tone sounds intentional, while one that lands on a non-chord note sounds unfinished unless it resolves. Because a chord is defined by its third and its seventh, those two are the most telling notes to target on a chord change. Everything else in a melodic line is either decoration around chord tones or a deliberate departure from them.
Example: Bending into the third of a chord and stopping there, rather than continuing past it, lands on a chord tone.
See also
Related
- PageChord
- PageTriad
- PageVoicing
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley