Questions: Applied Chords and Voice-Leading in Tonicization

Question 1

In C major, a composer wants to tonicize the ii chord (D minor) using an applied dominant. Which chord achieves this?

• A. E minor (iii in C major), because it shares two notes with the ii chord
• B. A major (A–C#–E), because it is the dominant of D and introduces the leading tone to D
• C. G dominant seventh (V7 of C), because it resolves to the tonic which precedes ii
• D. F major (IV in C major), because it moves by step to the ii chord

Answer: (B)

The applied dominant of ii is V/ii — the dominant chord of D minor, which is A major (A–C#–E). The C# is the leading tone of D, and its presence temporarily makes D feel like a local tonic. This is the mechanism of tonicization: borrowing dominant function from another key to give a non-tonic scale degree momentary tonal weight. G7 is the home-key dominant (V7 of C major), not the applied dominant of D.

Question 2

When resolving an applied dominant chord (e.g., V/V → V in C major), how should the raised chromatic note — the temporary leading tone — move?

• A. It should descend by a half step to avoid creating an angular chromatic line
• B. It should remain stationary to preserve voice-leading smoothness
• C. It should ascend by a half step to resolve to the root of the tonicized chord
• D. It may move freely in either direction since applied chords are non-functional

Answer: (C)

The raised chromatic note in an applied chord functions as a leading tone to the tonicized chord — it sits a half step below the root of the chord it tonicizes. Like the regular leading tone in the home key, it carries strong upward tendency and should resolve upward by a half step. In V/V → V in C major (D major → G major), the F# resolves up to G. Allowing it to descend wastes the expressive pull of the chromatic inflection and weakens the voice leading.

Question 3

An applied chord (such as V/IV) permanently shifts the tonal center of a piece away from the home key.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Applied chords produce tonicization, not modulation. Tonicization is a temporary, brief emphasis on a non-tonic scale degree — typically lasting one or two chords — after which the music returns to the home key. Modulation involves an extended commitment to a new key with cadential confirmation. A single applied chord followed by a return to home-key function is tonicization; the tonal center of the piece has not changed.

Question 4

The tritone in an applied dominant seventh chord resolves in the same way as the tritone in the home-key dominant seventh — with each voice moving by half step toward the other.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: True

Applied dominant seventh chords contain tritones that behave exactly like the tritone in the home-key V7: the diminished fifth resolves inward (both voices move by half step toward each other). The resolution is to the tonicized chord rather than the home tonic, but the voice-leading logic is identical. This consistency is what makes applied chords effective: the listener hears a familiar tension-resolution pattern, momentarily oriented toward a new goal.

Question 5

What is the difference between tonicization and modulation, and how does the use of applied chords relate to each?

Model answer: Tonicization is a brief, temporary emphasis on a non-tonic scale degree, typically through one or a few applied chords, after which the piece returns to the home key without establishing a new one. Modulation is an extended change of key with cadential confirmation in the new key. Applied chords are the primary tool of tonicization — a V/ii chord gives the ii chord momentary tonal weight — but they do not by themselves establish a new key. Modulation requires the new key to be confirmed by authentic cadences and sustained harmonic activity.

The distinction matters for analysis and composition. A single applied chord followed by a return to home-key function is tonicization — a local color event. A passage that moves through V/V → V and then cadences fully in the dominant (with its own ii–V–I) is likely a modulation. Applied chords are the gateway to tonicization, but the surrounding harmonic commitment determines whether the effect is local color or genuine key change.