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| Nondominant Seventh Chords | (Adding a 7th to II or IV [these are the 2 most used of all nondominant seventh chords] transform the original triad into a 7th chord) Most common is II^[6/5], followed by II^7 and IV^7 (other positions are common [e.g. II[4/3]]) |
| Adding a 7th to II and IV | Does not change their tendency to move to dominant harmony= Actually, the dissonance activates these chords and intensifies their motion toward V |
| II^7 and IV^7: Progerssions | I-(VI)-II^[6/5 or other form]-V= I-(VI)-IV^7-V |
| II^7 and IV^7: Dissonance Treatment | Greatly resembles that of V^7= The process of resolution is exactly the same: DOWNWARD AND BY STEP |
| II^7 and IV^7: The way the dissonance is introduced | Also resembles V^7 but tends to be stricter= Most often, the 7th enters as a common tone held over or repeated from the preceding chord= It is usually accented and functions as a suspension= Where it is not prepared as a common tone, the 7th often functions as a passing tone (8-7) within an extended II or IV= Except in rather free or complex textures, the 7th will notenter by leap, as sometimes happens in V^7 when the 7th enters unprepared as an incomplete neighbor |
| Four-Part Writing: II^[6/5], Other inversions of II^7, and Various positions of IV^7 | Are all virtually always COMPLETE chords= HOWEVER, root-position II^7 (especially in MAJOR) will sometimes appear with 5th omitted and with doubled root or 3rd |
| Supertonic Seventh Chords: II^[6/5] most characteristic use | As an intermediate harmony connecting I with a cadential V= The dissonant tone is the 5th above the bass |
| What is the dissonant tone of II^7 | In any position of II^7, the dissonant tone is s.d. 1= As a dissonance, s.d. 1 cannot serve as a goal of motion, but is dependent on s.d. 7, to which it resolves by stepwise descent |
| What does II^[6/5] grow out of? | Like the cadential [6/4], II^[6/5] grows out of the suspension of s.d. 1 into a cadential leading tone= With II^[6/5], however, two harmonies (II and V) accompany the suspension and its resolution |
| Describe II^[6/5] in relation to the V that it moves to? | In keeping with its origins as a suspension, II^[6/5] is normally accented relative to the V to which it moves, though excepts are much more frequent with II^[6/5] than with cadential [6/4] |
| II^[6/5]: In progressions using this chord, how is the dissonance prepared? | Preparation of the dissonance as a COMMON TONE= EX: In F-major, the D (s.d. 6) is held over from I and VI (where it is consonant) before the arrival on II^[6/5] makes it dissonant |
| II^[6/5]: What can it support in the soprano? | Can support s.d.'s 1, 2, and 6= s.d. 4 is possible in four-parts only if II^[6/5] is INCOMPLETE (a most unusual procedure)= |
| II^[6/5]: When does it support s.d. 2 in the soprano? | Supports s.d. 2 in the soprano at strong cadences |
| II^[6/5] vs. II^6 | While II^[6/5] resembles II^6 (obviously), the two chords are not always interchangeable= II^[6/5] derives a much richer sound from the added dissonant tone; its progression to V highlights the leading tone by resolving into it from a dissonance (these features often make it PREFERABLE to II^6)= However, II^6 is often to be preferred if a light texture is appropriate= Sometimes, the progression of the soprano will determine which of the two chords is better |
| II^[6/5] vs. II^6: When the soprano repeats or holds s.d. 2, which one should you use? | If the soprano repeats or holds s.d. 2, II^[6/5] frequently gives a better sound and (in minor) prevents an augmented 2nd |
| II^[6/5] vs. II^6: If the soprano descends from s.d. 2 to s.d. 7, which one should you use? | If the soprano descends from s.d. 2 to s.d. 7, II^[6/5] will NOT readily work (the resolution of the dissonance will be transferred into the wrong voice= Thus (for the time being), use II^6 |
| II^[6/5] vs. II^6: Difference | II^[6/5] supports s.d. 6 in the soprano much more easily than does II^6= The repetition of s.d. 1 (coming from the tonic) removes the danger of parallel 5ths |
| II^7 | II^7 (the root position) occurs fairly frequent, but much less often than II^[6/5] (just as II is less common than II^6, at least as a cadential chord) |
| II^7: Soprano Voice | II^7 (like II) very often supports s.d. 4 in the soprano= The 10th between the outer voices makes for a fluent contrapuntal setting= Also, II^7 can support s.d. 1 (which would be dissonant, relative to the chord)= Having s.d. 1 in the top voice is another very frequent possibility and one where the prominence of the dissonance adds to the intensity of the chord (the addition of the 7th [i.e. s.d. 1] can improve the sound of root-position II in minor) |
| II^7: Approach | II^7 is easily approached by I^6= In this progression (I^6-II^7), a complete chord is possible in both major and minor |
| I^[5/3]-II^7 | When II^7 is approached by I^[5/3], II^7 presents greater problems in voice leading than II^[6/5] does |
| Describe moving from I to II^7 in MAJOR | In moving from I to II^7 in major, the necessity of preparing the 7th and the danger of parallel 5ths makes it almost a rule to omit the 5th of II^7 and to double the ROOT or 3rd |
| Describe moving from I to II^7 in MINOR | In moving from I to II^7 in MINOR, the diminished 5th of II^7 eliminates the danger of parallels and, at the same time, lends a characteristic sonority to the chord= Thus, the complete chord occurs more frequently in minor than in major= NEVERTHELESS, securing a smooth introduction for the 7th of V^7 often makes it advisable to use the incomplete chord in minor as well |
| II^7-V^7 | If we move from II^7 to V^7 (instead of V^[5/3]), we interlock two dissonant chords= The immediate succession of two dissonant chords is perfectly correct as long as the dissonant tones resolve correctly |
| When what scale degree of II^7 should II^7 move to "X"? | When s.d. 4 is in the soprano tone of II^7, moving to V^7 makes for logical and connected voice leading= Scale degree 4 holds over to become the 7th of V^7 and then resolves to s.d. 3, usually over I= If s.d. 4 in the soprano is not held as a common tone (EX: if it leaps down to s.d. 2), then it is usually best to double s.d. 4 (3rd of II^7) in an inner voice to secure a good preparation for the 7th of V^7 |
| What other chord can move to V^7? | II^[6/5] can also move to V^7, but it does so less readily than II^7 does= In four-part texture, II^[6/5] does not contain s.d. 4 in any of the upper voices (s.d. 4, of course, is in the bass)= This means that the 7th of V^7 must enter through a leap of a 3rd |
| II^[6/5] & II^7: Metric Position | The usual situation is that II^[6/5] and II^7 appear on strong beats, with the dissonant tone functioning as a suspension; and the dominant chord that follows will be metrically weaker than the II^7= HOWEVER, II^7 ([6/5]) sometimes appears on a weak beat and leads to an accented dominant |
| II^[6/5] & II^7: When appearing on a weak beat and leads to an accented dominant | Sometimes II^7 and II^[6/5] appear on a weak beat and lead to an accented dominant= In this case, although the dissonance is repeated as a common tone, it is not really a suspension, for it is metrically weak= The dissonance is derived from a passing tone within II^6; the passing motion is contracted from three tones or two, through the omission of the first tone |
| II^7 or II^[6/5]: Moving to a cadential [6/4] | II^7 or II^[6/5] can move to a dominant embellished by a cadential [6/4]= The 7th of II^7 and/or II^[6/5] is repeated IN THE SAME VOICE to become the 4th of the [6/4] chord before resolving down to the 3rd of V= Thus, the [6/4] effects a delay in the resolution of the dissonance= Both II^7 and the cadential [6/4] normally appear on a strong beat= The metric position of [6/4], however, is less variable than that of the II^7, and we sometimes find II^7 on a weaker beat than the [6/4] that follows it |
| What chords can lead to II^7? | Any chord that can lead logically to II can also lead to II^7 or its inversions as long as it allows the dissonance to enter correctly= A frequent and idiomatic progression is {I-VI-II^[6/5]} with a bass descending in 3rds |
| Expanding Supertonic Harmony | Composers often extend supertonic harmony before moving on to V (EX: Ii may first appear in [6/3] position on the first beat and then, on the second beat, have the bass move down to the root while, at the same time, the soprano brings in the 7th as a passing tone)= (EX: You can also have II^[6/5] moving to II^7 with voice exchange between the bass and melody [whatever line that may be])= Such motions between II^[6/5] and II^7 (in EITHER direction) occur frequently |
| II^7: Expanding supertonic harmony | Although dissonant chords have way less possibilities for extended duration than consonant ones do, II^7 is SO strongly directed toward dominant harmony that it can be extended over fairly broad stretches of time without any loss to the music's coherence |
| A passing "I^6" can move between what chords? | A passing "I^6" can move between II^7 and II^[6/5] or between II and II6[6/5]= Also, the reverse of this progression can also occur (i.e. from first inversion to root position) |
| What can II^7 and II^[6/5] lead to? | II^7 and II^[6/5] can lead to concadential as well as cadential dominants= The noncadential ones need not be in root position |
| Noncadential uses of II^7 and II^[6/5] | A common progression contains II^[6/5]-V^[4/2] over a common bass tone= This progression is, in principle, the SAME as IV or II^6 moving to V^[4/2]= If the bass tone of the [4/2] receives an accent, it functions as a suspension |
| II^[4/2]: Noncadential Use | This inversion of II^7 occurs very frequently in noncadential situations, especially at the beginning of a composition, where staying close to the tonic in the bass is often more appropriate than moving abruptly away from it |
| II^[4/2]: Progression | II^[4/2] leads from I to V^6 or, MORE OFTEN, V^[6/5] |
| II^[4/3]: Progression/Noncadential Use | II^[4/3] (like VI or IV^6) can be used to lead to V (or V^7) from above |
| IV and II | IV and II are closely associated= They share two common tones and a common goal...V= Therefore, the seventh chords based on these triads (i.e. II^7 and IV^7) also have many features in common |
| II^7 and IV^7 | Have many features in common= The most important position of IV^7 (the ROOT POSITION) differs by only a single tone from II^[6/5] and moves to V in a very similar manner |
| II^7 and IV^7: When do the 2 chords show less resemblance? | IV^7 shows less resemblance to II^[6/5] when the 7th of the chord is in the soprano, for this tone (s.d. 3) is the only member of the chord that does not also belong to II^7= As it so happens, s.d. 3 occurs very frequently in the soprano (more frequently than any of the other tones) |
| IV^7: What s.d. occurs very frequently in the soprano? Result? | Scale degree 3 occurs frequently in the soprano (more frequently than any of the other tones)= This disposition gives us an alternative to the cadential [6/4] when s.d. 3 moves to s.d. 2 at a cadence (EX**: Sometimes, IV^7 comes from a IV^6 in the previous beat; the 7th functions as a passing tone within an expanded subdominant= Sometimes what at first appears to be a IV67 is better understood as a II^[6/5] with a suspension) |
| IV^7: Metric | IV^7 can appear on a weaker beat than the V to which it moves= However, it appears much more characteristically in strong metrical position= The chord presents the problem of parallel 5ths in moving to V, especially when s.d. 3 occurs in the soprano |
| What are/is a characteristic way for IV^7 to move to V? | It is characteristic of IV^7 for its 5th to descend by step into the leading tone, thus moving to V in parallel 3rds, 6ths, or 10ths with its 7th (s.d. 3) |
| When does IV^7 pose the threat of parallel 5ths? | The threat of parallel 5ths so often posed by IV^7 also looms when s.d. 3 occurs as a soprano passing tone (8-7) over a progression from IV to V= This passing motion occurs very often in the approach to a cadence, especially if s.d. 3 falls on a weak part of the measure or beat, thus excluding the cadential [6/4] |
| IV^[6/5] | (Most important of the inversions of IV^7) Its most useful function is to lead to V^[6/5] (less often V^6) and I with a stepwise ascending bass (is a great alternative to IV-V-I where a strong harmonic cadence is not needed)= This use of IV^[6/5] is closely related to that of IV^6 (HOWEVER, unlike IV^6, IV^[6/5] cannot move down to V because of the resulting parallel 5ths) |
