---
title: "ii 6/5 Chord — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "The ii 6/5 is the supertonic seventh chord in first inversion, with scale degree 4 in the bass. It's the classic pre-dominant chord that sets up V on AP FRQs."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-music-theory/key-terms/ii-65-chord"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Music Theory"
unit: "Unit 3"
---

# ii 6/5 Chord — AP Music Theory Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

A ii 6/5 chord is the supertonic seventh chord (ii7) in first inversion, so the chord's third (scale degree 4) is in the bass. In major keys it's a minor seventh chord, and it functions as a pre-dominant that pushes strongly toward V, with its chordal seventh resolving down by step.

## What It Is

The ii 6/5 chord is a [seventh chord](/ap-music-theory/unit-3/triad-chord-qualities-m-m-d-a/study-guide/C2Wj35yXuDEj0tYdyQcc "fv-autolink") built on [scale degree](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/scale-degree "fv-autolink") 2 (the supertonic), stacked root-third-fifth-seventh, then flipped into **first inversion**. The figures 6/5 tell you the third of the chord sits in the bass. In a major key, that bass note is scale degree 4, and the chord quality is a minor seventh chord (in C major: D-F-A-C with F on the bottom).

Why do composers love this voicing? The bass note (scale degree 4) is one [step](/ap-music-theory/unit-4/voice-leading-with-seventh-chords/study-guide/XpRYmaLewSzb1mJjUNZX "fv-autolink") below scale degree 5, so the bass walks smoothly into the dominant. Think of ii 6/5 as the IV chord's more sophisticated cousin. It has the same bass note and the same pre-dominant job, but the added seventh (scale degree 1) creates a tendency tone that must resolve down by step to the leading tone when the harmony moves to V. That built-in pull is what makes ii6/5–V–I one of the most common progressions you'll see all year.

## Why It Matters

This term lives in **[Unit 3](/ap-music-theory/unit-3 "fv-autolink"): Music Fundamentals III - Triads and Seventh Chords**, specifically **Topic 3.5: Seventh Chord Inversions and Figures**. It directly supports learning objective **[AP Music Theory](/ap-music-theory "fv-autolink") 3.5.A**, which asks you to identify seventh chords using Roman numerals (root and quality) plus Arabic figures (bass note). The 6/5 figure is your label for first inversion, part of the full set 7, 6/5, 4/3, and 4/2, where 4/2 marks the third inversion with the chordal seventh in the bass (PIT-2.D.1). But ii 6/5 doesn't stay in Unit 3. It comes roaring back in the harmony units as the textbook pre-dominant chord, and it shows up constantly in figured bass realization and Roman numeral part writing. If you can't spell and resolve a ii 6/5, the later units get rough fast.

## Connections

### V 6/5 chord (Unit 3)

Same figures, totally different chord. V 6/5 puts the [leading tone](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/leading-tone "fv-autolink") in the bass and resolves to I, while ii 6/5 puts scale degree 4 in the bass and resolves to V. Reading the Roman numeral and the figures together is exactly what skill 3.5.A tests.

### Seventh Chord (Unit 3)

The ii 6/5 is just the ii7 seventh chord with a different note on the bottom. The chord members and quality (minor seventh in [major keys](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/major-key "fv-autolink")) never change. Only the bass note and the figures do.

### Chord Inversion (Unit 3)

Figures are shorthand for which chord member is in the bass. For seventh chords the pattern is 7 ([root position](/ap-music-theory/key-terms/root-position "fv-autolink")), 6/5 (third in bass), 4/3 (fifth in bass), and 4/2 (seventh in bass). Once you memorize that ladder, ii 6/5 decodes instantly.

### Diatonic Chords (Unit 3)

The ii 6/5 is fully diatonic, built only from notes of the key. That's why it's a go-to pre-dominant in part writing. You get strong harmonic drive toward V without borrowing a single accidental.

## On the AP Exam

Multiple-choice questions hit this two ways. Aural questions play a progression and ask you to pick the Roman numeral analysis, where hearing the pre-dominant 'lean' into V helps you spot ii 6/5. Score-based questions show a chord and ask you to label it with the correct numeral and figures, which means identifying both the root (scale degree 2) and the bass note (the chord's third). On the free-response side, the part-writing tasks (realizing a figured bass and harmonizing from Roman numerals) regularly include inverted seventh chords. When you write a ii 6/5, you have to spell it correctly from the bass up and resolve the chordal seventh down by step into the next chord. Forgetting that resolution is one of the most common point-losers in part writing.

## ii 6/5 chord vs V 6/5 chord

Both carry the same 6/5 figures, but the Roman numeral changes everything. The figures only tell you the inversion (third of the chord in the bass). The Roman numeral tells you the root and the function. V 6/5 is a dominant seventh chord with the leading tone in the bass, and it resolves to I. ii 6/5 is a supertonic seventh chord with scale degree 4 in the bass, and it resolves to V. If you see 6/5 and immediately think 'dominant,' check the numeral first. A ii 6/5 comes before the dominant, not instead of it.

## Key Takeaways

- A ii 6/5 chord is the supertonic seventh chord in first inversion, which means the third of the chord (scale degree 4) is in the bass.
- In a major key, ii 6/5 is a minor seventh chord; in C major it spells D-F-A-C with F as the bass note.
- The figures 6/5 always mean first inversion of a seventh chord, part of the pattern 7, 6/5, 4/3, 4/2 that AP Music Theory 3.5.A expects you to read fluently.
- The chord functions as a pre-dominant, and its bass on scale degree 4 steps up smoothly to scale degree 5 when it moves to V.
- In part writing, the chordal seventh of ii 6/5 (scale degree 1) must resolve down by step to the leading tone in the V chord.
- Don't confuse ii 6/5 with V 6/5; the figures match but the roots, qualities, and resolutions are completely different.

## FAQs

### What is a ii 6/5 chord in AP Music Theory?

It's the supertonic seventh chord (built on scale degree 2) in first inversion, so the chord's third, scale degree 4, sits in the bass. In a major key it's a minor seventh chord that functions as a pre-dominant leading to V.

### Is the fifth of the chord in the bass of a ii 6/5?

No. The 6/5 figure means the third of the chord is in the bass. The fifth in the bass would be a 4/3 chord, and the seventh in the bass would be a 4/2 chord.

### How is ii 6/5 different from V 6/5?

The figures are identical, but the chords are not. ii 6/5 is a minor seventh chord with scale degree 4 in the bass that resolves to V, while V 6/5 is a dominant seventh chord with the leading tone in the bass that resolves to I. Read the Roman numeral, not just the figures.

### Why does ii 6/5 usually go to V?

Its bass note, scale degree 4, sits one step below the dominant's root on scale degree 5, so the bass moves smoothly. The chordal seventh (scale degree 1) also resolves down by step to the leading tone in V, which makes the progression feel inevitable.

### Is ii 6/5 the same as a IV chord?

Not the same, but closely related. Both have scale degree 4 in the bass and both function as pre-dominants. The ii 6/5 adds the supertonic root and a chordal seventh, which gives it an extra tendency tone IV doesn't have. Some analyses treat ii 6/5 as a IV chord with an added sixth, but on the AP exam you label it ii 6/5.

## Related Study Guides

- [3.5 Seventh Chord Inversions and Figures](/ap-music-theory/unit-3/seventh-chord-inversions-figures/study-guide/lNdabGWeBDl9DMDQelld)

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