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Unit 4: Harmony and Voice Leading I: Chord Function, Cadence, and Phrase

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

Why do chords tend to move in a particular order, and how do phrases end with cadences?

Topic 4.3 Harmonic Progression, Functional Harmony, and Cadences: explain tonic, predominant and dominant function, the normal direction of progressions, and the four cadence types.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 4.3, covering functional harmony (tonic, predominant, dominant), the normal flow tonic to predominant to dominant to tonic, and the four cadences (perfect authentic, imperfect authentic, half, plagal, with the deceptive cadence), with a worked cadence analysis.
9 min answer →

What rules govern range, spacing, doubling and resolution when we write all four voices?

Topic 4.2 SATB Voice Leading: apply the rules of range, spacing, doubling, smooth motion and tendency-tone resolution when writing four-part harmony.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 4.2, covering the four-voice ranges, the spacing rule (no more than an octave between adjacent upper voices), doubling guidelines, the ban on parallels and voice crossing, and resolving the leading tone and tendency tones, with a worked voicing.
9 min answer →

How do the outer voices, soprano and bass, move against each other to make good counterpoint?

Topic 4.1 Soprano-Bass Counterpoint: write and identify the four kinds of motion between the outer voices and avoid parallel perfect intervals.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 4.1, covering the four types of motion (parallel, similar, contrary, oblique) between the outer voices, the ban on parallel perfect fifths and octaves, the preference for contrary motion, and starting and ending intervals, with a worked example.
9 min answer →

How does part-writing change when a seventh chord is in an inversion?

Topic 4.5 Voice Leading with Seventh Chords in Inversions: part-write inverted seventh chords (6/5, 4/3, 4/2), resolving the seventh down by step and choosing bass motion to suit the inversion.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 4.5, covering part-writing inverted seventh chords (first, second and third inversion), resolving the chordal seventh down by step in any voice including the bass, the smoother bass lines inversions allow, and complete-chord resolutions, with a worked inversion resolution.
9 min answer →

When a chord has a seventh, how do we lead the voices so the seventh resolves correctly?

Topic 4.4 Voice Leading with Seventh Chords: part-write the dominant seventh and other seventh chords in root position, resolving the chordal seventh and leading tone correctly.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 4.4, covering part-writing the dominant seventh in root position, resolving the chordal seventh down by step and the leading tone up, the option of an incomplete chord to avoid parallels, and preparing the seventh, with a worked resolution.
9 min answer →