Which term is described as being approached by step and left by step in the opposite direction?

• A. Appoggiatura
• B. Cambiata
• C. Overtones
• D. Neighbor Tone

Answer: (D)

A neighbor tone is a nonharmonic note that decorates a chord tone by moving away by step and returning by step in the opposite direction. It’s created when the melody steps from a chord tone to a nearby pitch and then steps back to the original chord tone, producing a quick, small melodic ornament. It can be an upper neighbor (above the chord tone) or a lower neighbor (below it) and is typically unaccented, often occurring on weak beats to keep the harmony clear. For example, over a C major harmony, the melody might go C–D–C, with D serving as the upper neighbor. This pattern distinguishes it from other tones like the appoggiatura, which is usually approached by leap and resolves by step with more rhythmic emphasis, or from overtones and other figures that don’t describe this stepwise in-and-out motion.