Avoid tone
Encyclopedia
In jazz
theory, an avoid note is a scale
degree considered especially dissonant relative to the harmony
implied by the root chord
, and is thus better avoided.
In major-key tonality the avoid note is the fourth diatonic scale step, or 11th, which is a minor ninth above the 3rd of the chord, and thus very harsh. In melody it is usually avoided, treated as a "scale approach note" or passing note, or sharpened. It is not available in harmony. The available tensions for a dominant seventh chord are 9, 11, and 13.
In minor harmony the sixth scale step is usually avoided, and the 13th is not regarded as an available tension. The flat 13th lies a minor ninth above the fifth; however the reasons for avoiding it may lie more in avoiding subversion of the harmony by supplying the root of the major chord a third lower, e.g., altering Cm7 to Amaj7/9.
In modal terms, the available scale steps of the mode (or available tensions for the chords) of the diatonic scale steps are those a whole step above the chord tones, and the avoid notes are those that are not. The only exception is the Dorian mode of the second scale degree, where the sixth is avoided although it is a whole step above the fifth; this is because the tritone between this and the third scale step would give an unwanted dominant flavour. Taking C major as an example, the avoid notes are:
In his modal approach to minor harmony Haerle does not use the term avoid note, but discusses "intolerably dissonant" notes and how they should be resolved. For the melodic minor scale he gives these:
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
theory, an avoid note is a scale
Jazz scale
A jazz scale is any musical scale used in jazz. Many "jazz scales" are common scales drawn from Western European classical music, including the diatonic, whole-tone, octatonic , and the modes of the ascending melodic minor...
degree considered especially dissonant relative to the harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
implied by the root chord
Root (chord)
In music theory, the root of a chord is the note or pitch upon which a triadic chord is built. For example, the root of the major triad C-E-G is C....
, and is thus better avoided.
In major-key tonality the avoid note is the fourth diatonic scale step, or 11th, which is a minor ninth above the 3rd of the chord, and thus very harsh. In melody it is usually avoided, treated as a "scale approach note" or passing note, or sharpened. It is not available in harmony. The available tensions for a dominant seventh chord are 9, 11, and 13.
In minor harmony the sixth scale step is usually avoided, and the 13th is not regarded as an available tension. The flat 13th lies a minor ninth above the fifth; however the reasons for avoiding it may lie more in avoiding subversion of the harmony by supplying the root of the major chord a third lower, e.g., altering Cm7 to Amaj7/9.
In modal terms, the available scale steps of the mode (or available tensions for the chords) of the diatonic scale steps are those a whole step above the chord tones, and the avoid notes are those that are not. The only exception is the Dorian mode of the second scale degree, where the sixth is avoided although it is a whole step above the fifth; this is because the tritone between this and the third scale step would give an unwanted dominant flavour. Taking C major as an example, the avoid notes are:
In his modal approach to minor harmony Haerle does not use the term avoid note, but discusses "intolerably dissonant" notes and how they should be resolved. For the melodic minor scale he gives these: