The 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th scale degrees pull toward chord tones — landing on one creates suspense, resolving releases it

Within a scale, the chord tones (degrees 1, 3, 5) are points of rest, while the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th degrees create pull toward those chord tones. Landing a melody on a tension degree creates suspense; moving from it to a chord tone releases that tension. This scale-degree tension differs from interval consonance/dissonance: it is defined relative to the current chord, not between two isolated notes. A composer exploits it by ending a phrase on a tension note to keep the line unresolved, or landing on a chord tone to close it. A blue-note (a deliberately held b3/b5/b7) is a special case of sustained tension used for bluesy color.

Examples

In C minor, ending a melodic phrase on D (the 2nd) leaves it hanging; moving D→C (chord tone) resolves it. Holding the b5 as a blue-note keeps a bluesy tension alive.

Assessment

Identify which scale degrees are tension notes and which are resting chord tones. Explain how ending a phrase on the 7th versus the tonic changes the sense of closure.