Passing chord
Caplin Ahead!
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The info on this page is either entirely based on or mostly based on the content published in caplin-2013 or caplin-1998. Caplin is considered to be responsible for reviving interest in the analysis of form in North American music theory.
While Caplin’s impact cannot be understated, it is worth understanding that his 1998 work (and his 2013 followup) are focused on Classical music: particularly the works of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart. It is important to not assume other styles of music (both preceding and following the classical era, or music in other parts of the world) follow these same conventions. Music theory is descriptive, not prescriptive, and so the theory you see describing what was common in the Classical era may not apply to anything else.
In harmony, a passing chord is a chord that occurs in a progression that starts with a chord “X” and ends with the same chord “X” but in a different position. It can be used to prolong a harmony.[1]
A passing tone will almost always occur in the bass, though not always!
You may see the passing chord be called a subordinate harmony.
Examples
Example 1
Example 2
In this case, there are no passing tones between any of the voices.
References:
[1]: caplin-2013 p.12-13