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ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
ChristopherSchlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 08/09/05
Posts: 8,328
12/26/2020 5:12 pm
Originally Posted by: meharbrar12

So I got the sheet music for a song that I like listening to and I wanted to get an idea of song structure and the construction of the melody.[/quote][p]What song? What key?

Originally Posted by: meharbrar12Now the song is in 4/4 time and the second bar is a G Major chord. The bar ends with 2 non-harmonic tones. The first non-harmonic tone is approached by a skip down from a B to a F. From the F it steps down to a E in the same direction.[/quote]

I need more info to know for sure. Specifically what chord is next?

But in general this is very common voice motion. Often this is the ttonic chord (I chord) modulating to a V of IV as the progression then goes from I to IV. The note F makes the G a G7 chord which is the temporary V of C.

So instead of a simple motion & chord change:

G (I) > C (IV)

You wind up with a slight more advanced & detailed chord change:

G (I) > G7 (V of IV) > C (IV)

Or it could be that this song is in the key of C major & the G is the V chord. Which means that the F is actually a chord tone of the G7 (V).

However, it could just be an ornamental non-chord tone note. That happens in many styles of music.

[quote=meharbrar12]I don't know a lot of theory but I looked online and found that this is kind of close to an Appoggiatura, however an Appoggiatura skips then steps in the opposite direction to a chord tone, I believe. Just wondering if someone can explain how that works and what the name might be.

It could be. But an appoggiatura has more to do with how the note is handled rhythmically and not it's function. See here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appoggiatura

So it would be beneficial to know the rhythm of the melody notes.

[quote=meharbrar12]Also is E a non chord tone for the G Major chord?

Yes. The chord tones for a G major chord are:

G - 1st (root)

B - major 3rd

D - 5th

E is a major 6th. So, are you saying the F & E notes happen during the G major chord?

This is fairly common for some styles of music: blues, country, rock, pop, jazz. Styles that use dominant 7th chords freely. It's less common with classical music, or styles with more strict harmonic function motion.

I encourage you to keep working through the Fundamentals course & build your skill. But if you are curious about theory you can watch my tutorials on the basics of music theory here.

Music Theory: a Brief Overview

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=495

Circle of Fifths: An Introduction

https://www.guitartricks.com/tutorial.php?input=835

Hope that helps! Please ask more if necessary!


Christopher Schlegel
Guitar Tricks Instructor

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