Zone 1
Sweet
Grounded
Stable + Chord Tone
Resolved
Warm
Arrived
The harmony and melody fully agree. Maximum comfort. Essential for chorus arrivals and hook peaks — but overuse creates predictable, emotionally flat melody.
SO
MI
DO
as chord tones
Zone 2
Tense
Supported
Unstable + Chord Tone
Forward
Yearning
Leaning
The chord catches the note but it still wants to move. Grounded tension with a clear direction. Soul, gospel, and R&B live heavily in Zone 2.
FA
RE
TI
as chord tones
Zone 3
Floating
Modern
Stable + Non-Chord Tone
Airy
Color
Spacious
Doesn't belong to the chord, but stable in the key — so it floats rather than clashes. The note of jazz extensions, neo-soul, and contemporary pop sophistication.
DO
SO
MI
outside chord
Zone 4
Bitter
Edgy
Unstable + Non-Chord Tone
Dark
Raw
Urgent
Maximum friction — the note wants resolution and the chord gives no support. Devastatingly powerful in small doses. Blues, rock, and emotional peak moments.
TI
FA
outside chord