Notice:
- The subdominant (IV) and dominant (V) are inverted to create a smooth voice leading between the chords.
- The V6/5 adds the seventh tone above the dominant to the triad. In the preceding chord progression, the
added note is the G. - Frequently the fifth of the dominant seventh chord may be omitted. Your instructor will play the following
examples for you: listen for whether or not the chord is complete.
Exercise 8—Class Listening Exercise
Compare two similar chord progressions; the first one uses the dominant seventh chord while the second one
uses a dominant triad. Your instructor will play the two progressions for the class. Notice the added tension in
the V7 chord that does not exist in the dominant triad. Can you identify the notes that create this tension?
For example:
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MODULE 15
The French composer Claude Debussy (1862–1918) frequently used fourths, fifths, octaves, or seventh chords in succession
(called “parallel motion” or “planing”). In “Soirée dans Grenade,” Debussy wrote dominant seventh chords in an ascending series.
Notice the omission of the fifth in the chords.“Soirée dans Grenade” (C. Debussy)Historical note: Parallel seventh chords (Planing)