TH101 - Seth Monahan

INVERSIONS
V7USAGE
RESOLUTION ANDOF
COMMON
RESOLVING INVERSIONS OF V7

^4

Inversions of V7, like V7 itself, resolve to a tonic harmony (now either I or I6). However,
voice-leading is much simpler with inverted dominants. All three inversions resolve
according to the same rules, summarized in the scale-degree matrix shown at the right.
The leading tone always resolves to ^1, the chordal seventh still always descends by
step1, and ^2 may move either up or down by step depending on context.

^1

^7

^5

^5

MIXING INVERSIONS: TRANSFERRING TENDENCY TONES

When inversions of V7 move to tonic, the tendency tones ^7 and ^4 must
resolve according to the chart above. However, we can delay resolution to tonic by moving among various inversions of V7 (including the
root position version). This will often involve transferring tendency
tones from one voice to another. We can see this at the right, where
the green notes show the transfer and resolution of the chordal
seventh F, while the red notes show the transfer and resolution of the
leading tone B.

^3

^2

&

w
w
w
w

C: V%

V#

Two additional points:

t
t

Leaping through dissonant intervals is OK when mixing inversions of V7 (see the bass tritone above).
Once you introduce the chordal seventh into the dominant, you must eventually resolve it properly. It
is not acceptable simply to revert to a consonant triadic dominant.

INVERSIONS OF V7 AS CONTRAPUNTAL CHORDS

Inversions of V7 are often used as contrapuntal chords, meaning that their bass note takes on a
neighbor or a passing function. This chart shows the idioms you will be responsible for. All progressions
can be used in both major and minor.
CHORD

V#

BASS

RESOLVES TO

^7

NEIGHBOR BASS

I - V# - I
^1

ONLY!

^7

^1

PASSING BASS

[also common
as incomplete
neighbor]

V - IV - V# - I
^5

^6

^7

^1

[reversible]

V$

^2

V%

^4

OR

ONLY!

I - V$ - I
^1

^2

OR

^1

I - V% - I
^3

^4

^3

I - V$ - I

I - V$ - I

^3

^1

^2

^3

[also common
as incomplete
neighbor]

^2

^3
*

V - V% - I
^5

^4

^3

In most of these idioms, the inverted dominant prolongs/embellishes the adjacent tonic harmony. In the
two marked with asterisks [*], the chord expands the dominant as part of a broader V I motion.
1

Though see the special voice-leading issues of the ascending 10 paradigm (I - V4/3 - I6) on page 2!

INVERSIONS OF V7 RESOLUTION AND COMMON USAGE

TH101 - Seth Monahan

CONTRAPUNTAL DOMINANT FLOW CHART

The diagram below shows a map of bass-voice pathways that use contrapuntal dominants. (The chart is in
C major but can be transposed to any key.) The inverted V7 chords are shown in black noteheads, while the
chords they prolong and connect are shown in white. Pay special attention to the arrowheads, as they
indicate possible directions of motion. Note that this chart omits the less common passing bass use of V#
shown on page 1.

NEIGHBOR MOTIONS

PASSING MOTIONS

When incomplete, neighbors typically precede

the tonic they embellish.

BASS VOICE

V#

V$

V%

V%

V$

V7
== INVERTED
Pillar chords I, I6, or V

CAVEAT: THE ASCENDING 10 PARADIGM

When V$ is used as a passing chord between I and I6, the soprano will often move in parallel tenths with the
bass, 3-4-5 against 1-2-3. (Hence the aural-skills nickname10.) The 10 paradigm is the only context in
which the dominants dissonant chordal seventh may ascend rather than descend. As example (a) shows in
green, the dissonant seventh (^4) may proceed by step into ^5, in parallel tenths with the bass. This is only
permitted in this progression, and when the seventh is in the top voice!
dissonant seventh
ascends

## 10
&

(a)

ASCENDING
10 PARADIGM

? ##
D:

10

V$

diminished fifth
moves into perfect fifth
10

(b)

10

10

10

vii

[P]

[P]

GOOD

GOOD

The rising 10 paradigm also allows us another voice-leading license: as the chordal seventh ascends, it
creates parallel motion into a P5 from a d5, as the brackets in (a) show. Normally prohibited, such a motion
is permitted here and in the paradigms sibling progression, I - viio6 - I6, shown in (b) above. (They are
sibling progressions because viio6 differs from V$ by only one note, and is used in exactly the same way: as
a passing chord between I and I6.)