Tags: #tendency tones

All theory articles

What Is Resolution in Music: How Tension Moves Toward Stability

What resolution means in melody and harmony, how it differs from stability and cadence, why stepwise motion is so common, and how to hear delayed, partial, and redirected resolution.

Reader level: Arranger

Stable and Unstable Notes: How Scale Degrees Create Rest and Motion

Which scale degrees sound stable or unstable, where their tendencies lead, and how to use this hierarchy in melody, improvisation, and analysis.

Reader level: Arranger