Continuing Piano Lessons Online - "Tension and Release"

Exploring the use of "Tension...

...and Release!"

Advanced piano lessons text transcript -

Let me show you what I mean. Let's take two standard chords right in a row. First, "C Major", followed by "G Major". Pretty standard right? You'll hear that a billion times in music.

Now let's throw in some "non-chord tones" to add some interest. First, "C Major" again. (audio example) Now there's a note in there that doesn't belong in C Major, but then I move to a note that belongs in C Major (audio example).  Don't worry about what the notes are, just listen to them moving. Then I'll go to G Major. There's a note that doesn't belong in there, but then it moves to a note that belongs in G Major. Listen again (audio example). Again I want to remind you - don't worry about analyzing what those non-chord tones are, they simply just don't belong in the chords. That's what we call "Tension", because your ear hears that as something that doesn't belong, and then "Release" as it moves to something that belongs.

Now I'm going to play that entire beginning music passage again, with lots of non-chord tones in there - listen for notes that create "Tension and Release".