#AP Music Theory: Night Before Review 🎶

Hey there, future music maestro! Let's get you feeling confident and ready to rock this AP Music Theory exam. We're going to break down those tricky voice leading rules and seventh chords, so you can ace it! Let's dive in!

#Voice Leading with Seventh Chords

#General Rule: Stepwise Motion is Key 🔑

When using seventh chords in inversions, remember that smooth voice leading is crucial. Aim for stepwise motion when entering and exiting these chords. Think of it like a graceful dance, not a clumsy leap! This helps create a melodic bass line, just like those cool jazz walking bass lines.

#Leading Tone Seventh Chords (ⅶ°7 and ⅶø7)

These chords are versatile and have two main functions:

• Dominant Substitute: They can replace the V or V7 chord, acting as a dominant. Think of them as the V chord's stylish cousin.
• Tonic Prolongation: Placed between tonic chords, they extend the tonic's presence with smooth, stepwise voice leading.

#ⅶ°7/ⅶø7 - I Cadence

• Usually, the ⅶ°7 is used in root position for a strong leading-tone to tonic resolution. This gives a powerful pull towards the tonic.

• Inversions can also work, especially when the leading tone is in the top voice, maintaining that strong resolution.

#ⅶ°7/ⅶø7 Between Tonic Chords

• Inversions are super useful here! For example, a I-ⅶ6/5-I progression creates a smooth voice exchange.
• This creates a more melodic and interesting progression than using root position chords.

• Root Position Seventh Chords: You can omit a chord tone (usually the 5th), but be careful.
• Inverted Seventh Chords: Never omit any chord tones! Keep them all in there. It's like making sure all the ingredients are in the recipe!