What is a Neighbor Tone?

A neighbor tone is a type of non-chord tone that briefly moves away from a chord tone and then returns to the same chord tone. It typically moves by step either above or below the original note before resolving back to it. Neighbor tones add melodic decoration and motion while still maintaining a strong connection to the underlying harmony.

For example, if a melody begins on the note C while a C major chord is being played, the melody might move to D and then return to C. In this case, D is the neighbor tone because it steps away from the chord tone C and then resolves back to it. Neighbor tones can also occur below the original note, such as C–B–C, where B acts as the neighbor tone.

Neighbor tones are widely used in many styles of music, including classical, jazz, and popular music. They help create more expressive and fluid melodies by adding small movements around stable chord tones. This technique allows composers and performers to decorate melodic lines while still keeping the harmony clear and recognizable.