#AP Music Theory: Predominant Chords - Your Ultimate Review 🚀

Hey there, future music maestro! Let's get you feeling super confident about predominant chords for your AP Music Theory exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource, especially the night before the big day. Let's dive in!

#1. Harmonic Functions: The Big Picture 🎼

Before we zoom into predominant chords, let's quickly recap harmonic functions. These are the roles chords play in a musical piece. Think of it like characters in a story: some are the 'home' (tonic), others create tension (dominant), and some lead us to the tension (predominant).

• Tonic (T): The 'home' chord, providing stability. Examples: I, vi, and iii (major); i, VI, and III (minor).
• Dominant (D): Creates tension and pulls towards the tonic. Examples: V⁷ or viio.
• Predominant (PD): Creates a bridge between tonic and dominant, adding harmonic interest. Examples: ii, IV (major); ii°, iv (minor).

#Visualizing Harmonic Functions

Here's a helpful image to visualize how these functions relate:

Caption: Chords are grouped by their function: Tonic, Dominant, and Predominant.

#2. The Importance of Predominant Chords 💡

So, why do we need predominant chords? Well, a simple T-D-T (Tonic-Dominant-Tonic) phrase can feel a bit basic. Predominant chords add tension and harmonic interest by expanding the phrase to T-PD-D-T. They act as a 'preparation' for the dominant, making the resolution to the tonic even more satisfying.

Predominant chords are crucial for creating sophisticated and engaging chord progressions. They frequently appear in both multiple-choice and free-response questions.

#From T-D-T to T-PD-D-T

• T-D-T: Basic phrase structure (Tonic - Dominant - Tonic).
• T-PD-D-T: Expanded phrase structure (Tonic - Predominant - Dominant - Tonic).

This expansion is super common in music, so understanding it is a must!

#3. Common Predominant Chords

#3.1. The Subdominant Chord (IV or iv)

The subdominant chord (IV in major, iv in minor) is a popular choice for the first predominant chord. It's a perf...