Passing note
A passing note is a melodic note that does not belong to the chord sounding at that moment and joins two chord tones by step. It usually falls on a weak beat, carries on in the same direction and so resolves by itself.
- Type
- non-chord tone
- Motion
- by step, in one direction
- Usually on
- a weak beat
- Counterpart
- suspension
A note on its way
A triad consists of root, third and fifth. All other notes sounding above it in the melody are non-chord tones. The passing note is the most harmless case: it fills the gap between two chord tones a third apart, and so the ear does not feel it as a disturbance. That is the general textbook definition.
Passing notes over C major: C – D – E
Over the C major chord (C–E–G), C, E and G are chord tones. The D between C and E and the F between E and G are passing notes. They are marked.
Play the melody over the held chord. The D and the F do not stand out because they pass through: they lie between notes of the chord, carry on in the same direction and fall on unstressed beats.
How to recognise one
- First determine the chord, then check which melody notes do not occur in it.
- If the note moves by step from one chord tone to the next, it is a passing note.
- If the note falls on a strong beat instead and only resolves afterwards, it is a suspension.
Strong and weak beats are explained on the page Rhythm: in 4/4 time beats one and three are strong, two and four weaker. Passing notes typically fall on the weaker beats.
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Related terms
SuspensionChordTriadTonicBeatDiatonic chordCadence
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
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