Theory 139: Week 12 Notes

- INTRODUCTION TO THE SUPERTONIC AND SUBDOMINANT TRIADS;

PRE-DOMINANT FUNCTIONS; FURTHER USES OF DIATONIC LEAPS -
● In Western Classical Music we will encounter two main Pre-Dominant (PD) chords the
supertonic triad (ii and iio) and the subdominant triad (IV and iv)
○ ii (minor triad in major keys): 2, 4, 6
○ iio (diminished in minor keys): 2, 4, 6
○ IV (major in major keys): 4, 6, 1
○ iv (minor in minor keys): 4, 6, 1
■ Note that both chords share 2 common tones: 4 and 6.
● Try some sight-singing exercises between 8.1–8.13.
○ By audiating, try to identify moments in the melodies that the supertonic or subdominant triad
is arpeggiated and/or referenced.
● Here are some important harmonic features of each triad:
○ ii is found readily in root position or first inversion.
○ iiº is nearly always found in first inversion.
■ This is generally true of all diminished triads in tonal music: they are most
often—and nearly exclusively—found in first inversion, which minimizes an
emphasis on the chord’s diminished quality.
○ IV is often found in root position, but can be found in first inversion.
○ iv is often found in root position, but can be found in first inversion.
● Below is an updated bass scale-degree chart with these pre-dominant harmonies:
Chord I (i) ii (we I6 (i6) IV (iv) V IV6 (iv6) V6
won’t ii6 (iio6)
expect iio
in root
position)

Bass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Scale (leading
Degree tone)

● Note that the 4 category now has 2 entries: ii6 (iio6) and IV (iv).
● Some strategies for determining which triad one hears: listen for chord quality, and note
especially if 1 or 2 appears in the soprano: if 1, IV (iv) is the best option; if 2, ii6(iio6) is the best
option.
● We use the “PD” harmonic function label for pre-dominant chords.
○ Pre-dominant harmonies, per their name, come before dominant harmonies.
○ If a pre-dominant harmony does not immediate progress to a dominant harmony, it can only
go to a stronger pre-dominant harmony.
○ ii (iio) is regarded as stronger than IV (iv), since it’s root follows a circle-of-fifths progression
to reach the dominant triad.
■ Therefore, IV (iv) can progress to ii (iio), but the reverse progression is not stylistic:
in fact, it is referred to as a “retrogression.”
 ● Here are the paths that harmonic function labels can take:

T ————> PD ————> D ————> T

● In all, pre-dominant harmonies do not progress to tonic without passing through a dominant
harmony.
○ Pre-dominant harmonies help strengthen half cadences and authentic cadences. •
Specifically, iv6—V in a minor key is a Phrygian Half Cadence.
■ The “Phrygian” portion of its label comes from the half step in the bass as iv6—V
(just like the characteristic half step between the first two degrees in a Phrygian
scale).
● Try these chord progression arpeggiation exercises:

Any Minor Key: i – i6 – i – iv – iio6 – V – i

Any Major Key: I – IV – V – I6 – V6 – I – ii – V – I

- INTRODUCTION TO SEVENTH CHORDS; INTERVALS: SEVENTHS; LEAPS

WITHIN THE DOMINANT SEVENTH CHORD -
We will now introduce the dominant seventh chord (V7) and its inversions: see Rogers and Ottman, Ch. 9.
● Reminder that triads contain 3 distinct notes, whereas seventh chords contain 4.
● A V7 chord will be spelled with scale degrees 5, 7, 2, 4 and will appear as a major chord in both
major and minor keys.
● In any major key of your choice, write out the V7 chord and review terminology about its members:
○ Root (5), third (7), fifth (2), and seventh (4).
■ Reminder that in a minor key one must use an accidental (like the V chord) to
raise the seventh scale degree to the leading tone!
● Review all of the intervals that can be formed by arpeggiating through members of the V7 chord.
○ The intervals between 7 and 4 (upward or downward) will often be called by its
colloquial name “tritone”. (The tritone is literally the Augmented 4th, not the
Diminished 5th.) In all, please always label intervals by interval quality + interval size to
avoid any confusion.
○ V7 contains 2 “tendency tones”: the third of the chord (= leading tone), which resolves up
to tonic; the seventh of the chord (sometimes called the “chordal dissonance”), which
resolves down by step.
■ Please be sure to review that scale degree 7 and the seventh of the chord are two
completely different entities AND that they resolve in opposite ways!
● Try some sight-singing exercises between 9.1–9.25.
● Review the inversions of the V7 chord and note especially the scale degree found in the bass.
○ V7 = root position.
○ V6/5 = first inversion.
○ V4/3 = second inversion.
■ Fun (and important!) fact: the 7th in V4/3 has the opportunity to resolve up(!) by step
since it is not dissonant with the bass note! This actually happens a lot!
4/2
○ V = third inversion.
● Updated the bass-scale degree chart.
Chord I (i) V4/3 I6 (i6) V4/2 V7 IV6 (iv6) V6/5
ii (we IV (iv) V V6
won’t ii6 (iio6)
expect iio
in root
position)

Bass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Scale (leading
Degree tone)

● Be sure to review strategies for chords in bass scale-degree categories for which there is more than
one entry.
○ For 2, V4/3 vs. ii should be distinguished by chord quality, seventh chord vs. triad,
dominant vs. pre-dominant function, etc.
○ For 4, V4/2 vs. ii6(iio6) vs. IV (iv) should be distinguished by chord quality, seventh chord
vs. triad, dominant vs. pre-dominant function, etc.
○ For 5, V7 vs. V students should especially listen for seventh chord vs. triad.
○ For 7, V6/5 vs. V6 students should especially listen for seventh chord vs. triad.
● Review some of the predictable resolutions for some inversions of V7.
○ V7: most often resolves to I (i).
○ V6/5: invariable resolves to I (i); leading tone is in the bass.
○ V4/3: options to resolve to I (i) or I6(i6).
○ V4/2: resolves invariably to I6(i6); 7th of the chord is in the bass.
● Try these chord progression arpeggiation exercises:

Any Minor Key: i – V6/5 – i – iv – iio6 – V7 – i

Any Major Key: I – V4/2 – I6 – I – ii – V7 – I