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Rimsky-Korsakov, Practical Manual of Harmony in English

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · section 75 of 96

Melodic Ornamentation in the Strict Style

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§ 73.— 1) Passing notes, neighbour notes and suspensions are used to embellish a melody and, in general, the parts of harmonic progressions.

This embellishment of the harmony is called melodic ornamentation. All these devices may alternate within a single part or in several parts at once.

2) The consonant notes of the chords, and the minor seventh formed freely without preparation and without resolution, which serve as a kind of support for the movement of the parts, also provide the means of forming suspensions or passing notes where at first this seems impossible.

Disjunct motion of the parts does not allow suspensions to be formed, just as conjunct motion gives no occasion for passing notes. Both are obtained by means of a leap in one of the parts to one of the consonant notes of the chord:

The descending suspension is impossible:

[Example]
Fig. 305 · See it in the reader

It becomes possible with the help of a leap:

[Example]
Fig. 306 · See it in the reader

Diatonic passing notes are impossible:

[Example]
Fig. 307 · See it in the reader

They are introduced with the help of real notes:

[Example]
Fig. 308 · See it in the reader

3) Passing notes and neighbour notes may also occur on the strong part of the bar or on the strong part of a beat, provided that no new chord arises at that moment.

[Example] etc.
Fig. 309 · See it in the reader

4) The note that resolves this passing note may lie in another part, always in the lower octave:

BAD
Fig. 310 · See it in the reader

It must not be the third of the chord:

[Example]
Fig. 311 · See it in the reader

In both cases the part forming the obstacle must change position:

GOOD
Fig. 312 · See it in the reader

5) The following examples are regarded as parallel fifths and octaves and are absolutely forbidden:

[Example] a) b) c)
Fig. 313 · See it in the reader

On the other hand, octaves and fifths on the weak beats are permitted:

[Example] d) e) f)
Fig. 314 · See it in the reader

6) The suspending part is often ornamented by inserting a chord note or by auxiliary notes.

[Example] a) b) c)
Fig. 315 · See it in the reader

7) The descending suspension may be ornamented with the lower auxiliary of the delayed note, and the ascending suspension with the upper auxiliary; both are taken at the third from the suspension:

[Example]
Fig. 316 · See it in the reader