#AP Music Theory: Predominant Harmony Deep Dive 🎶

Hey there, future music maestro! Let's get you prepped and confident for the AP Music Theory exam. This study guide is your go-to resource for mastering predominant harmonies, especially those tricky seventh chords. Let's dive in!

#Predominant Chords: The Bridge to the Dominant

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Before we get fancy with seventh chords, let's nail down the basics. Predominant chords are like the 'setup' in a musical phrase, leading us smoothly to the dominant. Think of them as the 'getting ready' phase before the big 'ta-da!' of the dominant chord.

• Primary Predominants:

  • ii (supertonic): Minor chord built on the 2nd scale degree.
  • IV (subdominant): Major chord built on the 4th scale degree.

• Function: Predominant chords create a sense of anticipation, pushing the music towards the dominant (V). They expand the basic T-D-T (Tonic-Dominant-Tonic) progression to T-PD-D-T (Tonic-Predominant-Dominant-Tonic), which is super common!

• Common Progressions: I-ii-V-I and I-IV-V-I are your bread and butter. You've heard these a million times, whether you know it or not!

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Remember the circle of fifths? Moving down it takes you from I to IV, which is why IV is a natural choice after the tonic. It's like a musical GPS guiding you through the harmony.

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• Why IV First? It's a perfect fifth below the tonic, making it a smooth transition. Plus, you often keep a common tone between I and IV, which helps maintain a sense of connection. For example, in F Major, the I chord (F-A-C) and the IV chord (Bb-D-F) share the note F.

• Inversions: While root position is common, you'll also see the subdominant in first inversion (iv6) in minor keys. This is often to create a smoother bass line.

![Subdominant Triad](https://zupay.blob.core.windows.net/resources/files/0baca4f69800419293b4c75aa2870acd_7d7a46_3415.png?alt=media&token=fe4eaf45-611f-...