Unit 5: Harmony and Voice Leading II
AP Music Theory: 48 practice questions with detailed explanations.
Unit Study Guide
Executive Summary
Progressions follow functional patterns; predominants prepare dominants; sevenths and leading-tone chords enrich the harmony; their tendency tones resolve predictably.
Chord progressions
The standard flow: I → (IV or ii) → V → I. ii substitutes for IV (both predominant); vi substitutes for I; vii diminished substitutes for V. Root motion by falling fifths (circle of fifths) is the strongest: I-IV-vii-iii-vi-ii-V-I. Deceptive motion V-vi replaces the expected tonic.
Predominants
IV and ii (ii diminished in minor) lead to V. The 12-bar blues uses I, IV, V. Closing formulas: ii-V-I is the classic authentic close; IV-I plagal.
Seventh chords in context
V7 resolves to I with the leading tone up and the seventh down. ii7 (D-F-A-C in C major) is a predominant seventh. V7-vi is a deceptive resolution — tendency tones still resolve normally.
Leading-tone chords
vii diminished shares two tones with V and functions as dominant. In major it is half-diminished as a seventh (B-D-F-A); in minor (harmonic) it is fully diminished (G#-B-D-F).
Exam traps
The functional order is predominant BEFORE dominant. V7's seventh falls; the leading tone rises — both must resolve. In minor, ii is diminished and iv is minor.