How do seventh chords on the predominant degrees work, and how do their sevenths resolve?
Topic 5.3 Predominant Seventh Chords: use ii7 (ii diminished 7) and IV7 as predominant sevenths and resolve their chordal sevenths down by step into the dominant.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 5.3, covering the predominant sevenths ii7 (ii diminished 7 in minor) and IV7, how the chordal seventh resolves down by step into the dominant, the popular ii6/5 voicing, and smooth part-writing, with a worked resolution.
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What this topic is asking
The College Board (Topic 5.3) wants you to use predominant seventh chords, chiefly ii7 (ii diminished 7 in minor) and IV7, and to resolve their chordal sevenths down by step as the chord moves into the dominant, often using the popular ii6/5 voicing.
Predominant sevenths
The diatonic supertonic seventh in major is a minor seventh chord (ii7); in minor it is a half-diminished seventh (ii diminished 7). Both function as predominants and both contain a chordal seventh that must resolve down by step.
The seventh resolves into the dominant
The seventh must be prepared (ideally arriving as a held or stepwise tone) and resolved down by step, exactly as with the dominant seventh. The only difference is the chord's position in the progression: it sets up V rather than resolving to I.
Why a predominant seventh strengthens the cadence
The central idea is that adding a seventh increases the directed tension of the predominant. A plain ii or IV already leads to the dominant, but the seventh adds a dissonance that must resolve, sharpening the chord's forward pull and giving the approach to the cadence more momentum. Because the seventh resolves down by step into a chord tone of the dominant, the join is smooth and inevitable-sounding. Voicing the chord as ii6/5 also places scale degree 4 in the bass, so the bass walks by step into the dominant, polishing the line. This is the same seventh-resolution principle you learned for the dominant seventh, now applied one chord earlier in the phrase, which is why mastering it is mostly a matter of locating the seventh and letting it fall.
Part-writing a predominant seventh
To part-write a predominant seventh, spell the chord (ii7 or IV7), identify the chordal seventh, prepare it smoothly from the previous chord, then resolve it down by step into a tone of the dominant, moving the other voices by the smallest step and checking for parallels.
Try this
Q1. Which way does the chordal seventh of a predominant seventh chord resolve? [1 point]
- Cue. Down by step, into a chord tone of the dominant, like every chordal seventh.
Q2. Why is the supertonic seventh often voiced as ii6/5? [2 points]
- Cue. First inversion puts scale degree 4 in the bass, giving a smooth stepwise approach to V, and the seventh adds a stronger predominant pull.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of College Board exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AP 2022 (style)1 marksSection I (multiple choice, written). In C major, what is the chordal seventh of the ii7 chord, and where does it resolve? (A) C, resolving up to D (B) C, resolving down to B (C) E, resolving up to F (D) D, resolving down to CShow worked answer →
The correct answer is (B) C, resolving down to B.
In C major, ii7 is D, F, A, C. The chordal seventh is C (a seventh above the root D). Like every chordal seventh, it resolves down by step. As ii7 moves to V (G, B, D), the seventh C falls to B, the third of the dominant.
(A) and (D) move the wrong note or the wrong direction. (C) E is not in the ii7 chord. The trap is forgetting that the seventh of ii7 is the note a seventh above the root D, namely C, and that all chordal sevenths fall by step.
AP 2023 (style)3 marksSection II (free response, part-writing). In F major, part-write ii6/5 to V, naming the chordal seventh and its resolution and explaining why ii6/5 is a common predominant voicing.Show worked answer →
A 3-point part-writing question.
(1 point) Spell ii7 in F major: G, B flat, D, F (root G, seventh F). In first inversion (6/5) the third, B flat, is in the bass.
(1 point) Resolve to V (C, E, G): the chordal seventh F falls by step to E (the third of V), the bass B flat moves to C, and the other voices move by the smallest step.
(1 point) ii6/5 is common because the third (scale degree 4) in the bass gives a smooth, often stepwise approach to the dominant, and the added seventh strengthens the predominant pull toward V while keeping a full, rich chord.
Markers reward the seventh F resolving down to E, correct spelling and inversion of ii6/5, and explaining that the bass scale degree 4 leads smoothly into the dominant.
Related dot points
- Topic 5.1 Adding Predominant Function IV (iv) and ii (ii diminished): use the subdominant and supertonic chords to prepare the dominant and part-write them smoothly.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 5.1, covering predominant function, the IV (iv) and ii (ii diminished) chords, how they lead to the dominant, the use of ii6 and first-inversion predominants, and smooth part-writing, with a worked predominant progression.
- 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.
- Topic 5.5 Cadences and Predominant Function: build complete cadential progressions with predominants and harmonise a given melody so it cadences correctly.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 5.5, covering full cadential progressions that include a predominant (such as I, IV or ii, V, I), how the predominant strengthens the approach to the cadence, and how to harmonise a given melody so the cadence lands correctly, with a worked harmonisation.
- Topic 3.3 Seventh Chords: build a seventh chord by adding a seventh above the root, and identify its quality (major, dominant, minor, half-diminished, fully diminished).
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 3.3, covering the seventh chord as a triad plus a seventh above the root, the five common qualities (major, dominant or major-minor, minor, half-diminished, fully diminished), how the triad and the seventh combine, and the diatonic sevenths of a key, with a worked build.
- Topic 5.2 The vi (VI) Chord: use the submediant as a tonic substitute and as the goal of a deceptive cadence, and part-write V to vi correctly.
A focused answer to AP Music Theory Topic 5.2, covering the submediant vi (VI) as a tonic substitute, its role in the deceptive cadence V to vi, the special doubling needed to avoid parallels in V to vi, and its use to extend a phrase, with a worked deceptive resolution.
Sources & how we know this
- AP Music Theory Course and Exam Description — College Board (2024)