Unit 5-5: Predominant 7th Chords

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Sight sing and improvise melodies that incorporate skips in predominant 7th chords over a given chord progression in major or minor.
Demonstrate further proficiency in sight reading, improvising, and transcribing rhythms that incorporate syncopation at the subdivision level in compound time
Transcribe chord progressions and melodies in examples from the repertoire that include predominant seventh chords, including IV7 and ii7 with inversions in major and minor.

Preparation for Class

Explore

Build a few simple progressions that include ii7 and ii65 chords used as predominants (e.g. I - ii65-V7-I). Sing the bassline, then arpeggiate each chord as you listen. Focus on hearing the 7th of the chord ("Do") and singing its resolution ("Ti").

ChordChord

Chord Player

In-Class Activities

Improvisation

Rhythmic Improvisation: Ties in Compound Time: Continued practice from Unit 5-4.
- - Rhythm Grid with Takadimi syllables
  - Rhythm Grid without rhythmic syllables
Melodic Improvisation (PD 7th Chords): Compose a progression that incorporates a ii7 or IV7 chord. (Here's one sample progression.) Sing through arpeggiations of each of the chords, then improvise a simple melody over the chord progression without using a chord grid (but visualizing it while you sing). Create a backing track using an online chord player like Chord Player, Musicca Chord Player, or ChordChord to fit your progression. Once you feel comfortable, add in diatonic and chromatic embellishing tones.

Sight Reading

Melodic Sight-Reading: Continue practice sight-reading melodic material from previous lessons, focusing on melodies that incorporate subdivisions in simple and compound time, syncopation, and ties.
Rhythm Sight-Reading: Continue practice sight-reading rhythms in the section "Adding 16th Rests & Ties."

Rhythms: Compound Subdivisions

Aural ID and Dictation

Theory Anthology: Listen to examples in the section "Predominant 7ths." Transcribe the melody, chords, and Roman numerals for each example. Indicate harmonic function below the Roman numerals (e.g. T, PD, D).

Theory Anthology: Predominant 7ths

Assignment

Assignment 5-5

NEXT STEP

Next Unit: Tonicization

Practice

Auralia:
- Chord Progressions: Level 12
- Chord Recognition: Level 2e
- Part Dictation: Level 10
- Rhythm Element Dictation: Levels 4g–i

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