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Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

6/4 Chord Function

So far, you have learned different ways you can expand the predominant function, both in major and , and you have realized that other chords like iii or VI may lose their function and work in a different way. For example, IV can serve as a predominant but also as an extension of the tonic. 

Similarly, in music, we don’t usually see 6/4 chords functioning in the same way as normal triads. If you have a keyboard or piano near you, try playing a I chord in C Major. Now, invert the chord so that you’re still playing a I chord, but it is in second inversion, i.e. a I 6/4 chord. You will probably notice that the tonic quality of the C Major chord is far less prominent. 

Similarly, a V 6/4 chord doesn’t really sound like a dominant chord, and a doesn’t really sound like a subdominant chord. That doesn’t mean that we don’t use 6/4 chords at all, though. There are 4 main contexts in which we do use 6/4 chords in music: , neighboring or , passing 6/4 chords, and arpeggiated 6/4 chords. 

Here is a brief overview of what all of these 6/4 chords do: 

  • are used to embellish dominant chords before a . Usually, we have a I 6/4-V-I progression, where the upper notes in the I 6/4 chord move down stepwise. For example, in C Major, a I 6/4 chord with notes G-C-E will have the upper notes move down so we have a G-B-D root position V chord. 

  • Neighboring or pedal 6/4 chords are 6/4 chords that are used to embellish the top lines of a piece of music. Imagine a I-IV 6/4-I chord in C Major. The note in the bass line, C, stays the same, while the upper notes briefly change before going back to where they started. 

  • Passing 6/4 chords are chords where the bass line is moving up or down, usually by a third, and we fill in this skip with a 6/4 chord to fill in the bass. For example, if we have a I-V 6/4-I6 progression in C Major, then the bass line will be moving up stepwise as C-D-E, and the upper notes will move according to our

  • Arpeggiating 6/4 chords are used to embellish the same triad. So, we might have a I-I6-I 6/4 chord progression, where the bass note is changing. In this case, the 6/4 chord does have the same chord function as it would in the other inversions, but it is used to embellish the preceding triads rather than to add harmonic value in some way. 

The main takeaway is that for all of these 6/4 chords, we are embellishing the existing harmonic structure of the piece – we are not adding any more harmonies. 

Cadential 6/4 Chords

In this section, we are going to dive a little deeper into

The cadential 6/4 chord is a I 6/4 chord that precedes a root position dominant triad, usually at a . Although the cadential 6/4 contains the notes of the tonic triad, it does not exercise a but serves as a brief expansion of the dominant area. For this reason, we usually say that the cadential 6/4 has a , and rather than writing I 6/4-V, we will usually notate this pattern as V 6–5/4–3 to indicate that the 6/4 chord is “part of” the V chord.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-wQsP4gHSQFhM.png?alt=media&token=24a11267-188b-42b3-9269-2c0e99eba45d

Usually, the cadential 6/4 chord is written in a than the dominant chord that follows it, and the upper voices of the 6/4 chord will move downward by step to reach the dominant chord. For example, if we have a cadential 6/4 chord in A Major, then the 6/4 chord will have the notes E-A-C, and then A and the C in the upper voices will move down to G and B respectively to spell the root position dominant chord E-G-B. Then, we will use our to resolve the dominant chord to the I chord. The I chord will usually be written on a strong beat. 

When we write , it is good practice to (not the root, like in traditional voice leading). This means that the fifth scale degree will show up twice in the 6/4 chord, which will emphasize its

Here is an example of a cadential 6/4 chord. Although we will usually use the notation V 6–5/4–3 notation to write a cadential 6/4 chord, here is another acceptable way to notate the cadential 6/4.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-j99IFbf3UtVU.png?alt=media&token=6ff2c205-d42e-4d8e-b310-59e80cdb5336

Resolving to the Dominant Seventh

Can I write a cadential 6/4 chord to precede a V7-I ? Of course you can! When we follow a cadential 6/4 chord by a dominant triad, we usually retain the dominant voice that was doubled in the 6/4 chord in the dominant triad. In the example above in Bb Major, the 6/4 chord had notes F-F-B-D, and in the triad, we had notes F-F-A-C (notice that the bass note in the 6/4 chord is a whole note, meaning that it is also heard in the dominant triad. That means that in the V chord, we retained both of the Fs as common tones, and the A and the C moved down stepwise. 

If we want to go from a I 6/4 to a V7 chord, all we would have to do is move one of those Fs down. Since a third inversion V7 chord usually doesn’t have a strong dominant sound, whichever F is in an upper voice would move down stepwise to an E, spelling F-E-A-C, a root position V7 chord. 

To notate this in music, you will write this chord progression as V 8–7/6–5/4–3 in order to indicate that the 8th above the bass moves down to the 7th above the bass, the 6th moves down to the 5th, and the 4th moves down to the 3rd. Note that just like in regular , it doesn’t matter what order the notes in the chord are really in. Even if the 8th of the chord was in the alto voice and the 3rd of the chord was in the soprano voice, you would still write the as V 8–7/6–5/4–3. 

Here is an example of a cadential 6/4 chord moving to a V7 chord in a chord progression: 

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-lr1fq402DN5H.png?alt=media&token=88db0446-5b36-4463-8c96-6fcd53ea9efd

Voice Leading with the Cadential 6/4 Chords

First, remember to always double the bass of the cadential 6/4 chord. This reinforces the of the cadential 6/4 chord so that the 6/4 chord sounds like an embellishment to the dominant rather than a second inversion tonic triad. This also makes it easier to retain the common tone when moving to a dominant triad or move the doubled tone down stepwise to spell a dominant seventh chord. 

Doubling the bass isn’t just a stylistic choice when writing . If you don’t double the bass, then the cadential 6/4 chord would be considered wrong in the AP Music Theory exam. 

Second, it is a good idea to approach the cadential 6/4 chord with a predominant harmony, like a or a . This is usually just common practice when it comes to writing chord progressions: predominant harmonies should precede dominant harmonies. However, especially when writing , you should always have a strong predominant section

There are two reasons for this. First, the cadential 6/4 loses its when preceded directly by the tonic section of a phrase, since the cadential 6/4 has a tonic harmony. Second, since the subdominant chords “want” to resolve to dominant chords, writing the cadential 6/4 between the subdominant and dominant harmonies creates good harmonic tension as listeners have to wait for the subdominant to resolve. 

should always go on a strong beat. Otherwise, the embellishment sounds too weak, and it will lose its musical effectiveness. 

A quick note: If you write a cadential 6/4 chord correctly, you shouldn’t run into this problem, but you should always check for in , since all of the upper voices are moving down stepwise in

    https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-PctA9d4Gvr52.png?alt=media&token=695caee4-71d6-4f14-a2c7-49bbe3588cb4

Here are a few final examples to sum this section up: 

  • In the first chord progression, we see a cadential 6/4 chord solving to V. Notice how common tones are kept, and the other voices move down to the nearest tones. 

  • In the second measure, we see a cadential 6/4 solving to a V⁷ chord. See how the bass is kept the same, and SAT voices (Soprano, Alto, Tenor voices) all move down by step in in order to resolve to the V7. 

Key Terms to Review (19)

6/4 chord function

: A 6/4 chord function refers to the use of a chord in second inversion (with the fifth as the lowest note) that serves as a passing or pedal tone between two chords.

Cadence

: A cadence is a musical phrase that marks the end of a musical section or piece. It provides a sense of resolution and closure to the listener.

Cadential 6/4 chords

: Cadential 6/4 chords are chord progressions commonly used in music to create a sense of resolution and finality. They typically occur at the end of a phrase or musical section.

Direct Fifths and Octaves

: Direct fifths and octaves refer to consecutive perfect fifths or octaves that occur between two voices moving in parallel motion. They are considered undesirable in traditional voice leading because they can create a lack of independence between voices.

Dominant Function

: The dominant function refers to the role of the V chord in a key, which creates tension and leads back to the tonic (I) chord. It is an essential part of harmonic progressions.

Double the bass of the chord

: Doubling the bass of a chord means to play the same note in a lower octave. It adds depth and richness to the harmony.

Figured Bass Notation

: Figured bass notation is a system of musical shorthand used in the Baroque period to indicate the chords and harmonies that should be played above a given bass note. It consists of numbers and symbols written below or above the bass line.

ii6 Chord

: The ii6 chord is a minor triad with an added sixth interval above its root. It functions as a predominant harmony, preparing for the dominant or V chord in music.

IV 6/4 Chord

: The IV 6/4 chord is a specific chord built on the fourth scale degree (subdominant) that consists of three notes played simultaneously - typically root position with both upper voices doubled at an interval of either P4 or P5 above.

iv chord

: The iv chord is a minor triad built on the fourth scale degree of a major key. It adds a touch of melancholy or tension to the music.

Metrically stronger position

: Metrically stronger position refers to beats or subdivisions within music that have more emphasis or weight than others due to their placement within the meter.

Minor Keys

: Minor keys are musical scales that have a different pattern of whole and half steps compared to major keys. They often create a sad or melancholic mood in music.

Neighboring 6/4 Chords

: Neighboring 6/4 chords are two consecutive chords in root position, where the bass note moves by step and the upper voices remain the same.

Parallel Motion

: Parallel motion refers to two or more melodic lines moving in the same direction, maintaining the same intervallic relationship between them. It creates a sense of unity and harmony between the lines.

Pedal 6/4 Chords

: Pedal 6/4 chords refer to a chord progression where the bass note remains stationary while the upper voices move around it.

Subdominant Function

: The subdominant function refers to the role of the IV chord in a key, which provides stability and contrast to the tonic (I) chord. It is often associated with a sense of relaxation in harmonic progressions.

Tonic Function

: Tonic function refers to the role of a musical element, such as a chord or note, in establishing and maintaining a sense of tonal center or stability within a piece of music.

Traditional voice leading rules

: Traditional voice leading rules are guidelines for how individual melodic lines (voices) should move in relation to each other to create smooth and harmonically pleasing music.

Voice Leading Rules

: Voice leading rules are guidelines that dictate how individual voices should move from one chord to another in order to create smooth and pleasing musical transitions. These rules help maintain the independence and clarity of each voice while ensuring harmonic coherence.
Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

Cesar Torruella

6/4 Chord Function

So far, you have learned different ways you can expand the predominant function, both in major and , and you have realized that other chords like iii or VI may lose their function and work in a different way. For example, IV can serve as a predominant but also as an extension of the tonic. 

Similarly, in music, we don’t usually see 6/4 chords functioning in the same way as normal triads. If you have a keyboard or piano near you, try playing a I chord in C Major. Now, invert the chord so that you’re still playing a I chord, but it is in second inversion, i.e. a I 6/4 chord. You will probably notice that the tonic quality of the C Major chord is far less prominent. 

Similarly, a V 6/4 chord doesn’t really sound like a dominant chord, and a doesn’t really sound like a subdominant chord. That doesn’t mean that we don’t use 6/4 chords at all, though. There are 4 main contexts in which we do use 6/4 chords in music: , neighboring or , passing 6/4 chords, and arpeggiated 6/4 chords. 

Here is a brief overview of what all of these 6/4 chords do: 

  • are used to embellish dominant chords before a . Usually, we have a I 6/4-V-I progression, where the upper notes in the I 6/4 chord move down stepwise. For example, in C Major, a I 6/4 chord with notes G-C-E will have the upper notes move down so we have a G-B-D root position V chord. 

  • Neighboring or pedal 6/4 chords are 6/4 chords that are used to embellish the top lines of a piece of music. Imagine a I-IV 6/4-I chord in C Major. The note in the bass line, C, stays the same, while the upper notes briefly change before going back to where they started. 

  • Passing 6/4 chords are chords where the bass line is moving up or down, usually by a third, and we fill in this skip with a 6/4 chord to fill in the bass. For example, if we have a I-V 6/4-I6 progression in C Major, then the bass line will be moving up stepwise as C-D-E, and the upper notes will move according to our

  • Arpeggiating 6/4 chords are used to embellish the same triad. So, we might have a I-I6-I 6/4 chord progression, where the bass note is changing. In this case, the 6/4 chord does have the same chord function as it would in the other inversions, but it is used to embellish the preceding triads rather than to add harmonic value in some way. 

The main takeaway is that for all of these 6/4 chords, we are embellishing the existing harmonic structure of the piece – we are not adding any more harmonies. 

Cadential 6/4 Chords

In this section, we are going to dive a little deeper into

The cadential 6/4 chord is a I 6/4 chord that precedes a root position dominant triad, usually at a . Although the cadential 6/4 contains the notes of the tonic triad, it does not exercise a but serves as a brief expansion of the dominant area. For this reason, we usually say that the cadential 6/4 has a , and rather than writing I 6/4-V, we will usually notate this pattern as V 6–5/4–3 to indicate that the 6/4 chord is “part of” the V chord.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-wQsP4gHSQFhM.png?alt=media&token=24a11267-188b-42b3-9269-2c0e99eba45d

Usually, the cadential 6/4 chord is written in a than the dominant chord that follows it, and the upper voices of the 6/4 chord will move downward by step to reach the dominant chord. For example, if we have a cadential 6/4 chord in A Major, then the 6/4 chord will have the notes E-A-C, and then A and the C in the upper voices will move down to G and B respectively to spell the root position dominant chord E-G-B. Then, we will use our to resolve the dominant chord to the I chord. The I chord will usually be written on a strong beat. 

When we write , it is good practice to (not the root, like in traditional voice leading). This means that the fifth scale degree will show up twice in the 6/4 chord, which will emphasize its

Here is an example of a cadential 6/4 chord. Although we will usually use the notation V 6–5/4–3 notation to write a cadential 6/4 chord, here is another acceptable way to notate the cadential 6/4.

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-j99IFbf3UtVU.png?alt=media&token=6ff2c205-d42e-4d8e-b310-59e80cdb5336

Resolving to the Dominant Seventh

Can I write a cadential 6/4 chord to precede a V7-I ? Of course you can! When we follow a cadential 6/4 chord by a dominant triad, we usually retain the dominant voice that was doubled in the 6/4 chord in the dominant triad. In the example above in Bb Major, the 6/4 chord had notes F-F-B-D, and in the triad, we had notes F-F-A-C (notice that the bass note in the 6/4 chord is a whole note, meaning that it is also heard in the dominant triad. That means that in the V chord, we retained both of the Fs as common tones, and the A and the C moved down stepwise. 

If we want to go from a I 6/4 to a V7 chord, all we would have to do is move one of those Fs down. Since a third inversion V7 chord usually doesn’t have a strong dominant sound, whichever F is in an upper voice would move down stepwise to an E, spelling F-E-A-C, a root position V7 chord. 

To notate this in music, you will write this chord progression as V 8–7/6–5/4–3 in order to indicate that the 8th above the bass moves down to the 7th above the bass, the 6th moves down to the 5th, and the 4th moves down to the 3rd. Note that just like in regular , it doesn’t matter what order the notes in the chord are really in. Even if the 8th of the chord was in the alto voice and the 3rd of the chord was in the soprano voice, you would still write the as V 8–7/6–5/4–3. 

Here is an example of a cadential 6/4 chord moving to a V7 chord in a chord progression: 

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-lr1fq402DN5H.png?alt=media&token=88db0446-5b36-4463-8c96-6fcd53ea9efd

Voice Leading with the Cadential 6/4 Chords

First, remember to always double the bass of the cadential 6/4 chord. This reinforces the of the cadential 6/4 chord so that the 6/4 chord sounds like an embellishment to the dominant rather than a second inversion tonic triad. This also makes it easier to retain the common tone when moving to a dominant triad or move the doubled tone down stepwise to spell a dominant seventh chord. 

Doubling the bass isn’t just a stylistic choice when writing . If you don’t double the bass, then the cadential 6/4 chord would be considered wrong in the AP Music Theory exam. 

Second, it is a good idea to approach the cadential 6/4 chord with a predominant harmony, like a or a . This is usually just common practice when it comes to writing chord progressions: predominant harmonies should precede dominant harmonies. However, especially when writing , you should always have a strong predominant section

There are two reasons for this. First, the cadential 6/4 loses its when preceded directly by the tonic section of a phrase, since the cadential 6/4 has a tonic harmony. Second, since the subdominant chords “want” to resolve to dominant chords, writing the cadential 6/4 between the subdominant and dominant harmonies creates good harmonic tension as listeners have to wait for the subdominant to resolve. 

should always go on a strong beat. Otherwise, the embellishment sounds too weak, and it will lose its musical effectiveness. 

A quick note: If you write a cadential 6/4 chord correctly, you shouldn’t run into this problem, but you should always check for in , since all of the upper voices are moving down stepwise in

    https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-PctA9d4Gvr52.png?alt=media&token=695caee4-71d6-4f14-a2c7-49bbe3588cb4

Here are a few final examples to sum this section up: 

  • In the first chord progression, we see a cadential 6/4 chord solving to V. Notice how common tones are kept, and the other voices move down to the nearest tones. 

  • In the second measure, we see a cadential 6/4 solving to a V⁷ chord. See how the bass is kept the same, and SAT voices (Soprano, Alto, Tenor voices) all move down by step in in order to resolve to the V7. 

Key Terms to Review (19)

6/4 chord function

: A 6/4 chord function refers to the use of a chord in second inversion (with the fifth as the lowest note) that serves as a passing or pedal tone between two chords.

Cadence

: A cadence is a musical phrase that marks the end of a musical section or piece. It provides a sense of resolution and closure to the listener.

Cadential 6/4 chords

: Cadential 6/4 chords are chord progressions commonly used in music to create a sense of resolution and finality. They typically occur at the end of a phrase or musical section.

Direct Fifths and Octaves

: Direct fifths and octaves refer to consecutive perfect fifths or octaves that occur between two voices moving in parallel motion. They are considered undesirable in traditional voice leading because they can create a lack of independence between voices.

Dominant Function

: The dominant function refers to the role of the V chord in a key, which creates tension and leads back to the tonic (I) chord. It is an essential part of harmonic progressions.

Double the bass of the chord

: Doubling the bass of a chord means to play the same note in a lower octave. It adds depth and richness to the harmony.

Figured Bass Notation

: Figured bass notation is a system of musical shorthand used in the Baroque period to indicate the chords and harmonies that should be played above a given bass note. It consists of numbers and symbols written below or above the bass line.

ii6 Chord

: The ii6 chord is a minor triad with an added sixth interval above its root. It functions as a predominant harmony, preparing for the dominant or V chord in music.

IV 6/4 Chord

: The IV 6/4 chord is a specific chord built on the fourth scale degree (subdominant) that consists of three notes played simultaneously - typically root position with both upper voices doubled at an interval of either P4 or P5 above.

iv chord

: The iv chord is a minor triad built on the fourth scale degree of a major key. It adds a touch of melancholy or tension to the music.

Metrically stronger position

: Metrically stronger position refers to beats or subdivisions within music that have more emphasis or weight than others due to their placement within the meter.

Minor Keys

: Minor keys are musical scales that have a different pattern of whole and half steps compared to major keys. They often create a sad or melancholic mood in music.

Neighboring 6/4 Chords

: Neighboring 6/4 chords are two consecutive chords in root position, where the bass note moves by step and the upper voices remain the same.

Parallel Motion

: Parallel motion refers to two or more melodic lines moving in the same direction, maintaining the same intervallic relationship between them. It creates a sense of unity and harmony between the lines.

Pedal 6/4 Chords

: Pedal 6/4 chords refer to a chord progression where the bass note remains stationary while the upper voices move around it.

Subdominant Function

: The subdominant function refers to the role of the IV chord in a key, which provides stability and contrast to the tonic (I) chord. It is often associated with a sense of relaxation in harmonic progressions.

Tonic Function

: Tonic function refers to the role of a musical element, such as a chord or note, in establishing and maintaining a sense of tonal center or stability within a piece of music.

Traditional voice leading rules

: Traditional voice leading rules are guidelines for how individual melodic lines (voices) should move in relation to each other to create smooth and harmonically pleasing music.

Voice Leading Rules

: Voice leading rules are guidelines that dictate how individual voices should move from one chord to another in order to create smooth and pleasing musical transitions. These rules help maintain the independence and clarity of each voice while ensuring harmonic coherence.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.