Academic Decathlon Music Practice Test 2026 - Free Music Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Predominant chords function as the setup that pulls the harmony toward the dominant, creating the forward motion needed for a cadence. In tonal harmony, moving from a predominant harmony toward the dominant builds tension and prepares the ear for the arrival of V, which then resolves to the tonic. For example, in a major key, chords like ii or IV push the progression toward the dominant (V), so you get a strong V–I resolution. Their job isn’t to directly land on the tonic or to “create dissonance” in and of itself; it’s to set up and intensify the pull to the dominant, so the tonic can feel like a satisfying ending when the cadence arrives.