What are Changing Tones?

Changing tones (also called double neighbor tones) are a pair of non-chord tones that decorate a single chord tone by moving away from it in two different directions before returning. They create a small melodic figure that adds movement and ornamentation to a melody.

The pattern usually works like this: the melody begins on a chord tone, moves by step to a non-chord tone above or below, then moves to another non-chord tone on the opposite side, and finally returns to the original chord tone. Because the melody briefly “changes” around the main note before returning, the notes are called changing tones.

For example, in the key of C major, a melody might move G–A–F–G. The notes A and F are the changing tones that surround the chord tone G. Changing tones are common in classical and tonal music, where they serve as decorative melodic figures that add variety and expressive motion without strongly affecting the underlying harmony.