passing note

American  

noun

Music.

1. a note that is foreign to a harmony and is introduced between two successive chord tones in order to produce a melodic transition.

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passing note British  

noun

1. music a nonharmonic note through which a melody passes from one harmonic note to the next Compare auxiliary note

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Etymology

Origin of passing note

First recorded in 1720–30

Example Sentences

I made passing note of Kaplan’s attendance here when it happened, and asked readers — particularly those in Facebook’s orbit — what they made of it.

From The Verge • Oct. 5, 2018

In passing, note the ripples of protest that exfoliate up from the ankles through knees to outer thighs, the pebbly grind of hip sockets trying to accommodate swiveling joints.

From Time Magazine Archive

Indeed, other than making passing note of his years of distinguished service as a consultant to juvenile courts and county jails, his campaign speeches betray little sign of his background.

From Time Magazine Archive

Von Bulow cautions the student against "the accenting of the first note with the thumb—right hand—as it does not form part of the melody, but only comes in as an unimportant passing note."

From Chopin : the Man and His Music by Huneker, James

In the grind of human intercourse all manner of curious, heroic, delightful things turn up, and for the most part, are dismissed in a passing note.

From How To Write Special Feature Articles A Handbook for Reporters, Correspondents and Free-Lance Writers Who Desire to Contribute to Popular Magazines and Magazine Sections of Newspapers by Bleyer, Willard Grosvenor