What is suspension?

Question

What is suspension?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

A suspension is an accented embellishing tone — a nonchord tone that is prepared, sustained into the next chord (thereby creating a dissonance on a strong beat), and then resolved downward by step.

1. Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Nonchord tones: pitches not belonging to the underlying harmony, used as embellishments.
- Preparation, suspension, resolution: a suspension is prepared by a common tone in the previous chord, becomes dissonant when the harmony changes, then resolves (usually down a step) to a chord tone.
- Accented vs. unaccented: an accented embellishment occurs on a metrically strong beat; unaccented ones occur on weak beats.
- Common suspension types: 4-3, 7-6, 9-8, 3-2 (numbers indicate interval above bass before and after resolution).

2. Step-by-step reasoning
- A voice holds a note that was consonant with the initial chord (preparation).
- The harmony changes beneath that held note, so the sustained note becomes dissonant on the new chord.
- Because the dissonance occurs on a strong beat (accented), it is heard as a suspension.
- The suspended note resolves downward by step to a consonant chord tone, completing the suspension.

3. Intermediate steps (musical illustration in words)
- Example: In a 4-3 suspension above the bass, first chord: soprano and bass form a perfect fourth (consonant in context); when the bass moves to a new chord, the same soprano pitch becomes a dissonant 4th above the bass (on the strong beat) and then resolves down a step to form a 3rd (consonant).

4. Why the correct answer is correct
- The defining characteristics (preparation, dissonance on the strong beat, downward step resolution) mean a suspension functions as an accented embellishing tone. It is specifically an embellishment that occurs on a strong beat, distinguishing it from unaccented embellishments.

5. Why the other options are incorrect
- "A type of passing tone": Passing tones move stepwise between two chord tones and are typically not prepared by a common tone or resolved downward in the suspension manner.
- "A type of chordal skip": Skips involve leaps, not the stepwise resolution characteristic of suspensions.
- "An unaccented embellishing tone": Suspensions are accented by definition since the dissonance occurs on a strong beat.

6. Conclusion
This explanation confirms the correct answer: an accented embellishing tone.

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