Predominant chord

The French sixth chord; distinguishing tone highlighted in blue.  Play

The German sixth; the distinguishing tone is highlighted in blue.  Play

V of V in C  Play .

In music theory, a predominant chord (also pre-dominant) is any chord which normally resolves to a dominant chord. Examples of predominant chords are the subdominant (IV), supertonic (ii), Neapolitan sixth and German sixth. Other examples are the submediant (vi), secondary dominant (V/V), iv and ii°. The predominant harmonic function is part of the fundamental harmonic progression of many classical works.

ii-V-I turnaround in C ( Play ): the supertonic (dm) leads to the dominant (G7), which leads to the tonic (C).

The dominant preparation is a chord or series of chords that precedes the dominant chord in a musical composition. Usually, the dominant preparation is derived from a circle of fifths progression. The most common dominant preparation chords are the supertonic, the subdominant, the V7/V, the Neapolitan chord (N⁶ or ♭II⁶), and the augmented sixth chords (e.g., Fr⁺⁶).

♭II⁶-V⁶₄-I  Play midi or  Play ogg ( Play ogg of IV-V-I progression as usual, without Neapolitan sixth chord in place of IV).

The circle progression features a series of chords derived from the circle of fifths preceding the dominant and tonic.

In sonata form, the dominant preparation is in the development, immediately preceding the recapitulation. Ludwig van Beethoven's sonata-form works generally have extensive dominant preparation — for example, in the first movement of the Sonata Pathétique, the dominant preparation lasts for 29 measures (mm. 169-197)^{[citation needed]}.

See also

• Approach chord
• Passing chord