16.4: Predominant Harmonies
- Page ID
- 258580
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Before a Cadence
We just considered our strongest final cadence. If we back up and consider how we might approach this strong dominant chord, we end up in the area of the predominant chord. What should come before a dominant?
Thinking about Fifths
A solid first step is to circle back to our Circle of Fifths and that strong interval of a perfect fifth. If we stay in the key of D major, D is our tonic chord and is the chord that is built on the first degree of the major scale. If we go up a perfect fifth from tonic, we would build a chord on A and that becomes our dominant chord. When we go up another perfect fifth from A, we end up on E, the second note of the scale.
If we build a chord on E and use notes from the D major scale, we have an E minor chord: E, G, and B. This would be our minor chord built on the second scale degree and is shown with the lowercase Roman numeral, ii.
Bass Line Movement
Supertonic
You have been practicing sight singing. What makes a melody easy or difficult to sing? Do you feel most comfortable with leaps in the melody or stepwise motion?
Stepwise motion in a melodic line tends to be the easiest for us to sing. Although not always the case for the bass line, we will often see stepwise motion in a solid, functional bass line.
If we have the progression of a minor two (ii) chord that is then moving to the dominant (V), and then resolving to the tonic (I), we might see the bass line move by a fourth or a fifth.
It would be smoother and more common to see the bass line move by a step.
The E minor chord that is our supertonic chord (one up from tonic) in the key of D could easily be used in the first inversion. This would put the G (third of the chord) in the bass and give us a bassline movement of G to A to D.
We still have the solid harmonic function of the relationships of fifths between the roots of these chords, but also have a smoother bass line.
Subdominant
The other chord that easily comes before our dominant chord is the subdominant chord (one below dominant). This is also one of our primary chords and combined with the tonic and dominant chords, makes up a large percentage of the music we might hear on the radio.
In the same way that the bass line we just considered has both harmonic function and the ease of stepwise motion, we could use the same bass line with our subdominant chord.
The triad built on the fourth scale degree works well to come before the dominant chord. It shares some tones with the tonic chord, but is different and is still developing the tension in the music that will resolve when we finally reach the tonic.
Hearing the Harmonic Progression
If both of these predominant harmonies can have the same bass note, how will we tell the difference?
| Characteristics | Supertonic | Subdominant |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | minor | major |
| Tones in the chord | Re-Fa-La | Fa-La-Do |
| Similarities | Contains Fa and La | Contains Fa and La |
| Differences | Contains Re | Contains Do |
| Roman numeral | ii (with Fa in bass, ii6) | IV (with Fa in bass, IV) |