Questions: Common Chord Progressions

Question 1

Which of the following best explains why the V chord strongly 'wants' to resolve to I?

• A. The V chord is louder in most musical contexts
• B. The V chord contains the leading tone (scale degree 7), which is a half-step below the tonic and creates strong pull toward resolution
• C. The V chord has more notes than I
• D. The V chord is in a higher register than I

Answer: (B)

The dominant (V) chord in a major key contains the leading tone — the seventh scale degree, just a half-step below the tonic. That semitone tension creates a strong expectation of upward resolution to the tonic note, which is why V-I is the most fundamental harmonic motion in tonal music. The other options describe performance choices unrelated to harmonic function.

Question 2

The ii-V-I progression is primarily associated with classical music, while I-IV-V-I is the cornerstone of jazz harmony.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

It is the reverse: I-IV-V-I is the backbone of folk, blues, rock, and classical cadences, while ii-V-I is the defining progression of jazz. The ii chord substitutes for IV (both share two common tones) and propels more strongly into the dominant, giving jazz its characteristic forward momentum.

Question 3

A songwriter uses the chord progression I-V-vi-IV throughout an entire pop song. A critic calls this 'unoriginal.' How would a music theorist respond?

Model answer: A music theorist would argue that common progressions are shared tonal vocabulary, not clichés. The progression works because it creates a satisfying cycle of tension and release that listeners have internalized. Originality in songwriting comes from melody, rhythm, production, and lyrics — not from avoiding functional harmonic patterns.

This question targets the misconception that using common progressions is a creative failure. In tonal music, progressions are more like grammatical sentence structures than specific phrases — countless different things can be said within the same syntactic framework.