is there a name in music when the melody changes the chord name or function?

Question

I notice in some chords the melody actually starts on a note that is not in the chord itself. For example, a song in C major, the song might start on the C chord but the melody on the D (9th). Is there a name for this? Is it the composers intention to change the C chord into a Cadd9? Is there a name for this in music?

Answer 1

Hi! The technical name is a suspension but what's happening and what makes it so awesome is that it's dissonant with the chord. Meaning, like you said, it's a note not in the root triad being played underneath it. It's called a suspension because it will typically fall to the next note below it melodically (or it at least sounds like it "wants" to). A good example of this is the first line of the song "So Far Away" by Carole King. She sings an E over a Dmaj chord and resolves it to the consonant note D. To me, songwriting is all about tension and release and consonance v. dissonance in melody is one of the best ways to achieve that back and forth. Hope this helps!