Chromatic Approach

In Chapter II, I introduced the term “Approach Notes”. These are non-chord tones that are not sustained for long and quickly resolve to adjacent chord tones.

This technique is useful when you don’t want to emphasize dissonance too much.
By the way, the importance of “resolution by half-step motion” in the melody writing has been repeatedly mentioned since Chapter I.

From the viewpoint of other notes, ti–do and mi–fa are enviable, having a “buddy” that can form a half-step resolution. So, this time, let’s try creating the relationship of a half-step, even if it requires an accidental.

1. Chromatic Approach

Let’s create a phrase using multiple approach notes.

Here, the melody still follows the major scale, progressing as “do–ti–do, re–do–re, mi–re–mi…” with only ti–do and mi–fa having a half-step. Now I’ll use accidentals to artificially create the half-step motion.

There we go! The step structure has become a half-step, creating a smoother line. The notes with accidentals are outside the current chord, but within the flow, they sound quite natural.

Thinking Tonal Gravitation

By associating this with the concept of “tonal gravitation”, we can better understand what is happening in this scenario.

For example, the regular re is usually resolved in both upward and downward by a whole-step, creating an equal resolution either way. By changing it to re♯, the equilibrium of distance is disrupted, making it more likely to be drawn toward mi. Imagine it in that way.

Conversely, since you are creating a flow towards mi to that extent, deviating from it and moving elsewhere carries a significant risk of sounding unnatural. The basic principle is to neatly resolve with a half-step according to the tone tendency.

In jazz theory, bringing in notes that are temporarily outside the current scale (≈accompanied by accidentals) under the premise of “resolving to the chord tone a half-step away” is called Chromatic Approach, and the specific note is referred to as a “Chromatic Approach Note”.

The word “chromatic” is, you know, being not monochrome. Previously, I explained scales as akin to choosing colored pencils for a painting. Chromatic approach is, quite literally, a technique to add further colors to music.

Patterns of Chromatic Approach

The example above demonstrated a pattern that sandwiches a two half-step progression, such as “mi–re♯-mi“, but other variations are naturally conceivable.

Maybe this covers the main patterns. It’s possible to reach the chromatic approach note by leap motion, as shown in ④⑤.

Approach Going Downward

While the previous examples focused on upward types of chromatic approach (using ♯), there is also a type that progresses half-step downward, included in the scope of this term.

However, due to the strong idiosyncrasies of the notes, I think it is not so frequently used in popular music compared to upward motion.

Double Sandwich Approach

Additionally, there is a form of approaching by two notes sandwiching the target from both above and below.

Some theoretical works classify and name each motion, but I’ll omit that here.

2. Expressing Musical Ideas

The essence of chromatic approach is to make the line smooth, and how it brings about various musical expressions is diverse, offering numerous ways to utilize it.

Classical Usage

For example, when used in a dark and slow-tempo piano piece, it can enhance a more delicate and melancholic atmosphere.

With the increased smooth movement of half-steps, the strength in the melody diminishes, creating a soft impression. Especially concerning the movement of la–so♯-la, since it follows the same pattern as the harmonic minor scale, it can be incorporated quite easily.

Improvisation in Jazz and Rock

In genres like jazz and rock that involve improvisations, chromatic approach is commonly used to add color to improvisations.

The addition of chromatic embellishments like this brings a “quirky complexity” to the melody.

Particularly, motions like “Mi^♭→Re” and “So^♭→Fa” share similarities with the Blue Note we covered earlier.

Although, in terms of performance, it merely involves using notes that are a half-step apart, the resulting sound is quite complex. This technique is well-suited for genres that appreciate complexity.

3. Practical Examples

Now, let’s take a look at typical use cases of the chromatic approach in popular music.

Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” is a typical example of using the chromatic approach as a quirky expression in rock music.

The melody deviating from the original minor scale creates an eerie and “bad” atmosphere.

It’s noteworthy that the chromatically raised notes here not only ascend but also descend when folding back. Regarding these second notes, they don’t follow the resolution along the tendency.

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You” utilizes so♯-la resolution in the distinctive main phrase. In this context, it seems to reduce wildness by incorporating a smooth motion, elegant like social dance, achieving an adult and sophisticated quality.

This time, due to the bright tone of the music, there’s no “bad guy” mood. In other words, the unique smoothness of chromatic approach can be utilized as a diverse range of expressive elements.

4. Chromaticism

While the basic use of chromatic approach is to decorate melody with short notes, the attempts to extend it and intensify the sound became common in the “Romantic era” represented by composers like Chopin.

Nocturne No. 2 op.9-2

Chopin’s iconic piece, “Nocturne No. 2”, features various chromatic embellishments throughout. Particularly, the excerpt above demonstrates a notable instance…

The left hand plays a B^♭ note, while the melody in the right hand is a C♭ note. The melody overlapping a half-step above the bass creates a strong dissonance, but eventually, the melody descends by a half-step, resolving the tension with a kinda effect of “Ta-da! The note was a chromatic approach~~🎉 Are you relieved?😎✨”.

Classical music has a history of expanding the time of “tension”, leading to the complexity of music.

Multiple Chromatic Approach

As part of the intensification, patterns involving simultaneous chromatic approaches with multiple notes are also naturally conceivable.

Träumerei (Op.15-7)

This piece is by Schumann, a composer from the same period as Chopin. You can discover a simultaneous two-note chromatic approach in the middle.

Mi♭ flows to re, and fa♯ flows to fa. As you can see, the charm of chromatic approach lies in effortlessly producing complex chords like “VIm6^(-5)” if interpreted as a standalone chord.

This movement from the Classical era, where music was complexified using chromatic notes, is called “Chromaticism.”

We’ve gradually deviated from “melody theory”, but… well, sometimes it’s important to conceptualize chords as the “byproducts of multiple melodies” in this way.

The second and fourth chords, when viewed individually, are complex chords as discussed in chord chapters VII and VIII. However, leveraging the basic idea of “tension and resolution through chromaticism” from melody theory allows us to easily pull them out. This is where creativity comes into play.

5. Enharmonic Equivalents

Here, we’ll provide a bit of supplementary information related to sheet music. In the preparatory section, I explained that notes with the same pitch, such as D♯ and E♭, are called “enharmonic equivalents“. At that time, I said that you don’t have to care about it much. However, as we reach this level, it becomes a bit clearer which to spell.

For example, if the chord is C and there is a melody progression like “C–D♯-E,” this is very likely to be a chromatic approach applied to D. There is D–E as a prototype.

So, in this case, D♯ is absolutely D♯, and writing it as E♭ is generally not acceptable.

On the other hand, in the context of the “Blue Note” discussed in the last session, when a phrase “E♭-D–C” seems to be derived from “E–D–C“, spelling it as E♭ is much more appropriate than D♯.

Now, you should be able to grasp the idea that “D♯ and E♭ are distinct entities”. When in doubt about spelling, it’s helpful to consider which note the pitch originated from.

Summary

• The act of introducing a note that temporarily deviates from the current scale (usually accompanied by an accidental) with the premise of “resolving to a half-step neighboring tone” is referred to as the “Chromatic Approach”.
• Before a chromatic approach note, either stepwise or leapwise motion is acceptable, but afterward, basically it should resolve with a half-step motion.
• Performing multiple chromatic approaches simultaneously produces unique sounds and allows for the extraction of complex chord structures.

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