AP Music Theory Practice Quiz: Cadential 6/4 Chords

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 14 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 14

The cadential 6/4 chord serves as an embellishment of which chord?

A)TonicB)SubdominantC)DominantD)Mediant

All Questions (14)

The cadential 6/4 chord serves as an embellishment of which chord?

A) Tonic

B) Subdominant

C) Dominant

D) Mediant

Correct Answer: C

The provided content states that the cadential 6/4 chord 'does not exercise a tonic function but serves as an embellishment of the dominant.'

According to the rules of 18th-century voice leading, how must the sixth and fourth above the bass in a cadential 6/4 chord resolve?

A) Up by step

B) Down by step

C) Up by leap

D) They may remain as common tones

Correct Answer: B

The content explicitly states, 'In a cadential 6/4 chord, the sixth and fourth above the bass should always resolve down by step.'

In terms of metrical placement, where does the cadential 6/4 chord typically occur in relation to the dominant chord it resolves to?

A) In a metrically weaker position

B) In a metrically stronger position

C) In a position of equal metrical weight

D) Metrical position is not a consideration

Correct Answer: B

The content specifies that the cadential 6/4 'occurs in a metrically stronger position than the dominant chord.'

The provided text lists four specific contexts in which second-inversion triads may appear. Which of the following is NOT one of those contexts?

A) Passing 6/4

B) Cadential 6/4

C) Subdominant 6/4

D) Arpeggiated 6/4

Correct Answer: C

The text lists the four contexts as 'cadential 6/4, neighboring or pedal 6/4, passing 6/4, and arpeggiated 6/4 patterns.' A 'Subdominant 6/4' is not one of the specific contexts listed.

Although a cadential 6/4 chord contains the notes of the tonic triad, what is its primary harmonic function?

A) To establish the tonic key area

B) To serve as an embellishment of the dominant

C) To act as a pre-dominant chord

D) To create a deceptive cadence

Correct Answer: B

The text clarifies that 'Although it contains the notes of the tonic triad, it does not exercise a tonic function but serves as an embellishment of the dominant.'

In a part-writing exercise, a student writes a cadential 6/4 chord resolving to a dominant chord. The sixth above the bass resolves down by step, but the fourth above the bass resolves up by a step. Which voice-leading rule has been violated?

A) The rule of metrical placement.

B) The rule that upper voices must move by step.

C) The rule that the sixth and fourth must both resolve down by step.

D) The rule that the cadential 6/4 must precede the dominant.

Correct Answer: C

The content provides a specific rule: 'the sixth and fourth above the bass should always resolve down by step.' The student's resolution of the fourth upwards violates this rule.

Which notation is used to represent the voice leading of a cadential 6/4 chord resolving to its dominant?

A) I⁶ - V

B) IV⁶/₄ - V

C) I⁶/₄ - V

D) V⁶/₄ - ⁵/₃

Correct Answer: D

The text states that the cadential 6/4 'may be notated as V⁶/₄ - ⁵/₃,' indicating the figuration above the bass note (which is the dominant scale degree) changes from 6/4 to 5/3.

A second-inversion triad that is found on a strong beat immediately preceding a dominant chord at a cadence is best identified as which type of 6/4 chord?

A) Passing 6/4

B) Arpeggiated 6/4

C) Neighboring 6/4

D) Cadential 6/4

Correct Answer: D

This question describes the key characteristics of a cadential 6/4 chord as outlined in the text: it 'precedes the dominant, often at a cadence' and 'occurs in a metrically stronger position.'

What is the most common melodic motion for the upper voices when a cadential 6/4 chord resolves to the dominant?

A) They move by leap.

B) They move by step.

C) One voice leaps while the others move by step.

D) They remain stationary.

Correct Answer: B

The content says, 'upper voices most often move by step to the tones of the dominant.'

Based on the provided text, why is the cadential 6/4 chord NOT considered to have a true tonic function, despite being built from the notes of the tonic triad?

A) Because it always appears in a weak metrical position.

B) Because its primary role is to embellish and delay the arrival of the dominant chord.

C) Because it can only be used in minor keys.

D) Because the bass note is the subdominant scale degree.

Correct Answer: B

The text states that the chord 'does not exercise a tonic function but serves as an embellishment of the dominant.' This indicates its function is defined by its relationship to the dominant, not by its own notes.

In a four-part setting of a cadential 6/4 chord, the bass note is the dominant scale degree. Which two intervals above this bass note are required to resolve downwards by a step?

A) The third and the fifth

B) The sixth and the fifth

C) The sixth and the fourth

D) The fourth and the third

Correct Answer: C

The text specifies the resolution rule for the intervals that define the 6/4 chord: 'the sixth and fourth above the bass should always resolve down by step.'

According to the text, in which of the following contexts is a second-inversion triad permitted in 18th-century style?

A) As an introductory chord

B) As a passing 6/4

C) As a final chord of a phrase

D) As a substitute for the subdominant

Correct Answer: B

The text explicitly lists 'passing 6/4' as one of the four specific contexts where second-inversion triads may appear.

A composer places a cadential 6/4 chord on beat 2 of a 4/4 measure and the dominant chord it resolves to on beat 3. According to the text, what principle of 18th-century voice leading is violated?

A) The rule of stepwise resolution.

B) The rule of metrical placement.

C) The rule that the 6/4 contains tonic notes.

D) The rule that the 6/4 embellishes the dominant.

Correct Answer: B

The content states that the cadential 6/4 'occurs in a metrically stronger position than the dominant chord.' In 4/4 time, beat 2 is a weak beat and beat 3 is a relatively strong beat. Placing the 6/4 on a weaker beat than its resolution chord violates this principle.

An analyst observes a chord progression at a cadence. The first chord is a second-inversion tonic triad on a strong beat, and it resolves to a root-position dominant triad on the following weak beat. The upper voices of the first chord move down by step to the notes of the second chord. This 6/4 chord should be identified as:

A) A passing 6/4, because it connects two chords.

B) An arpeggiated 6/4, because it uses tonic notes.

C) A cadential 6/4, because it meets the criteria for function, metrical placement, and resolution.

D) A neighboring 6/4, because the upper voices move by step.

Correct Answer: C

This scenario perfectly matches the description of a cadential 6/4 chord. It contains tonic notes but functions as an embellishment of the dominant (precedes it at a cadence), occurs on a stronger beat than the dominant, and its upper voices resolve down by step.