Questions: Applied Chords and Tonicization Process

Question 1

In C major, a composer writes the progression E7 → Am. How should this be analyzed?

• A. E7 is a borrowed chord from C minor, providing chromatic color without structural function
• B. E7 functions as V/vi — briefly treating Am as a momentary local tonic, creating directional pull before returning to the home key context
• C. E7 is an altered passing chord with no harmonic function beyond connecting I and vi
• D. The progression represents a modulation to A minor, since E7 is the dominant of A

Answer: (B)

E7 contains G♯, the leading tone of A minor, which creates directed motion toward Am. This is the applied chord process: E7 functions as V in relation to Am (vi in C major), briefly treating Am as a momentary local tonic. This is tonicization, not modulation — the piece immediately continues in C major. The key analytical difference: tonicization is a brief local emphasis lasting a few beats, while modulation establishes a new key area for a substantial duration, typically confirmed by its own cadence.

Question 2

What is the correct three-step process for constructing an applied chord targeting the ii chord (Dm) in C major?

• A. Lower the fifth of the I chord to create chromatic motion leading into ii
• B. Identify Dm as the target; build its dominant (a chord a fifth above D, containing C♯ as the leading tone of D); resolve that chord to Dm
• C. Borrow the ii chord from C minor and resolve it downward to I using a plagal motion
• D. Raise the root of the I chord by a half step to create a chromatic approach to ii

Answer: (B)

The three-step process: (1) Identify the target — Dm (ii in C major). (2) Build the dominant of D minor — an A major chord with C♯ as the leading tone of D (since D minor has C♯ as its leading tone). This is A-C♯-E, which functions as V/ii. (3) Resolve V/ii to ii — A major → Dm. The C♯ steps up to D (leading tone resolution) and the A can resolve by common tone or step. The applied chord momentarily redirects the listener's expectation toward Dm as a local center before the home key context resumes.

Question 3

An applied chord like V/V indicates that the piece has modulated to the dominant key, since the dominant is now being tonicized.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Tonicization and modulation differ in duration and commitment. Modulation establishes a new key area for a significant portion of the piece, usually confirmed by a cadence in the new key. Tonicization is brief — typically a few beats — and the home key context immediately resumes afterward. An applied chord is a momentary harmonic detour that highlights a scale degree without abandoning the home key. After V/V resolves to V, we remain in the home key; V is still the dominant, not a new tonic.

Question 4

Any diatonic triad in a major key except the diminished VII° can serve as the target of an applied chord (tonicization).

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

Tonicization works by temporarily treating a chord as a local tonic and approaching it with its own dominant. This is possible for major and minor triads, which can convincingly function as temporary tonics. The diminished triad on VII° is excluded because diminished triads are tonally unstable — they don't function as convincing local tonics, and their 'dominant' would require unusual voice-leading. All other diatonic chords (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi) can be tonicized, giving composers V/ii, V/iii, V/IV, V/V, and V/vi.

Question 5

Why does the Explainer say that understanding applied chords transforms harmonic analysis 'from chord-by-chord labeling into narrative reasoning'? What does it mean to hear an applied chord as a momentary tonal direction rather than a chromatic accident?

Model answer: Hearing an applied chord as a chromatic accident means noticing 'there is a raised note here' and moving on. Hearing it as a momentary tonal direction means asking 'where is this music pointing right now, and why?' The applied chord briefly redirects harmonic expectation toward a local center, making the arrival on that center feel earned rather than routine. Narrative reasoning treats the progression as a story: the music departs toward a secondary goal, achieves it, then returns home. This reframes analysis from a series of labeled chords into a dynamic account of harmonic tension, direction, and resolution.

The analytical shift is from static identification (what is this chord?) to dynamic interpretation (what is this chord doing?). An applied chord says 'we are briefly pointing here' — and understanding that changes how you hear everything that follows. The arrival on the tonicized chord feels like a small local climax; the return to the home key context feels like resumption of a larger journey. Without this narrative perspective, the same progression is just a sequence of Roman numerals with unexplained accidentals.