Tendency Tones
Definition
Tendency tones are specific notes within a musical phrase that have a natural inclination to resolve to another pitch. They create tension and resolution, adding emotional depth to music.
Analogy
Imagine tendency tones as magnets with strong attraction forces. Just like how magnets pull towards each other, tendency tones pull towards their resolving pitches, creating musical tension and release.
Related terms
Resolution: Resolution refers to the movement from dissonance (tension) to consonance (release) in music.
Leading Tone: The leading tone is often considered one of the strongest tendency tones because it strongly resolves upward by half step.
Dominant Seventh Chord: The dominant seventh chord contains multiple tendency tones that create strong resolutions when progressing to tonic chords.
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