MUSIC THEORY

Mod 36

• Subject of the Day:  Dominant Seventh in Inversion
• Reading Assignment: Textbook; pp. 207-211
• Written Assignment:  Workbook; p. 109
• Semester Schedule

The scale degrees of the dominant seventh chord are 5 - 7 - 2 - 4 in root position.  Keep this in mind as we go through the various inversions and discuss their voice leading.  The approach to resolving inverted dominant 7th chords is no different than that which is used to resolve root position V⁷ :  Resolve the tritone.

First Inversion Dominant Seventh

Remember that the shortcut symbol for first inversion 7th chord is 6-5.  If a dominant seventh is in first inversion, the 3rd of the chord is in the bass.  Do you recall which scale degree the 3rd of a dominant 7th chord is?  It is the leading tone.  Since the LT is in the bass and our aim is to resolve the tritone, you would expect the chord to resolve to a root position I (i) chord.  The pull of the leading tone is far too strong for the bass to go anywhere else.  (see example below)

Second Inversion Dominant Seventh

The 2nd inversion of the dominant 7th is most commonly treated in the same manner as the passing 2nd inversion triad between I and I⁶ or I⁶ and I.  The bass has a three note scale pattern (1 - 2 - 3) or (3 - 2 - 1) and the 2nd inversion dominant seventh is built upon the middle note.  The fifth of the V⁷ chord is the 2nd scale tone.  When the bass line is ascending (1 - 2 - 3), the second inversion dominant 7th is the only time that the 7th of the dominant 7th does not have to resolve down by step.  The bass note is proceeding to the third of the tonic chord.  Therefore, the 7th, which would ordinarily resolve to the third of the I chord, can move in the other direction.  Keep in mind, this is the only exception to the rule: the 7th resolves down by step.
 (see example below)

Third Inversion Dominant Seventh

The 3rd inversion has the 7th of the chord in the bass.  Which scale degree is this?  It is the subdominant.  It will resolve down by step to the 3rd of the tonic chord.  This is, after all, the proper  resolution of the tritone.  Since this 7th will always resolve to the 3rd of the I chord, we can safely assume that all 3rd inversion dominant 7th chords will resolve to first inversion tonics.   (see example below)
 
 

If you still have questions, contact Dr. Bartolotta at wbartolo@odu.edu.