blue note
English composer
Definition
A note played at a slightly lowered pitch for expressive effect, typically a flattened third, fifth, or seventh degree of the scale, drawn from the African-American blues tradition and central to jazz harmony.
Interpretive Guidance
In Kapustin's melody and inner voices, look for chromatic inflections that suggest blue notes — a lowered third or seventh against a major chord. Emphasise these for jazz colour rather than smoothing them into conventional classical intonation.