JentooMusic Theory

AP® Music Theory · Unit 6 · Topic 6.4

Suspensions

Watch it drawn5 questionsPractice

Watch it explained

  1. How it worksHow do preparation, suspension, and resolution split one embellishment into three stages?
  2. How it worksWalk me through what separates a 4-3 suspension from a 7-6 and from a 9-8 suspension.
  3. Worked exampleWalk me through writing a 4-3 suspension over a V chord in C major.
  4. Worked exampleFind the suspension figure when an alto holds E over an F bass and then falls to D.
  5. Common mistakeWhy isn't a suspension the same thing as an accented passing tone?

Check yourself

Your turn1 of 2
A suspension is named by two figured-bass numbers, the dissonant interval above the bass and the consonant interval it resolves to, one step down, such as 4 resolving to 3. If a suspension's dissonant interval is 8, what is the number of the consonant interval it resolves to?

End of topic.

Next: Upward-Resolving Suspensions and the 2-3 Suspension →