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Passing Tone for Dummies

noun


What does Passing Tone really mean?

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Passing Tone is a musical term that describes a specific kind of musical movement or progression. It's like when you see a person walking through a crowded place, not really interacting with others, just passing by from one side to the other. In music, passing tones are just like those people passing through the crowd. They add something extra, a bit of color, to the overall musical picture.

Imagine you're looking at a beautiful painting, full of vibrant colors and delicate brushstrokes. Now, think of passing tones as those little touches of paint the artist adds to create depth or to connect different elements of the painting together seamlessly. Passing tones are the musical equivalent of those little paint strokes, adding texture and subtly enhancing the overall composition.

So, in simpler terms, passing tones are notes that are not part of the main melody or harmony, but instead connect one note to another by filling in the gaps. They are like little musical bridges that help the melody flow smoothly from one note to another, just like how stepping stones help you cross a stream without getting wet.

Another way to think about passing tones is by considering them as the musical glue that holds everything together. They help to smooth out the transitions between notes and chords, making the music sound more fluid and connected. Without passing tones, the melody might sound choppy and fractured, like trying to walk across a room with many obstacles in your path.

Furthermore, passing tones don't have to be complicated or fancy. They can be as simple as a quick note in between two main notes, just to make the transition smoother. It's like adding a little spice to a dish to make it more flavorful, without overpowering the main ingredients.

To summarize, passing tones are those additional musical notes that link and enhance the main melody or harmony by smoothing out the transitions between them. They act as musical bridges or paint strokes that add depth and cohesion to the overall musical picture. So, just like you might use stepping stones to cross a stream or add spices to a dish, passing tones are there to make the music more interesting, colorful, and connected.

Revised and Fact checked by Michael Davis on 2023-10-29 19:41:07

Passing Tone In a sentece

Learn how to use Passing Tone inside a sentece

  • In music, a passing tone is a note that connects two important tones in a melody, like a stepping stone in between.
  • Imagine you are walking on a path and you have two big rocks that you need to step on. The passing tone would be like a small stone that you step on in between the big rocks to make your journey smoother.
  • Let's say you have a melody that goes from note A to note C. The passing tone would be the note B that comes in between to make the melody more interesting.
  • If you have a staircase where each step represents a note in a melody, a passing tone would be like a tiny step that you take in between two big steps.
  • Think of a passing tone as a musical bridge that helps you smoothly go from one important note to another in a melody.

Passing Tone Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Passing Tone Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.