V to V⁷ (The 8–7 Figure Explained) | Chord by Chord Series Ep.7

Harmony isn’t learned by watching alone. This free guide shows the practice routine: https://drfrommsmusiclab.gumroad.com/... Practice worksheets for this episode: http://drfrommsmusiclab.gumroad.com/l... The 8–7 figure in figured bass isn’t a mysterious symbol—it’s a voice-leading instruction. In this episode of the Chord by Chord series, we look at how a dominant triad naturally expands into a dominant seventh chord, and why this motion works in one direction only. You’ll see how the classic V 8–7 figure tells a single voice to step from the root down to the seventh, increasing tension without changing harmonic function. We’ll also explore a second common approach—creating the seventh by ascending leap, resulting in an incomplete V⁷ chord—and explain why both strategies strengthen dominant harmony. Along the way, you’ll see why V can move to V⁷, but V⁷ cannot move back to V without breaking tonal syntax. Rather than treating figured bass as a decoding exercise, this episode shows how it directly encodes musical behavior. 🎧 Harmonic Dictation (practice the progressions from this video): 🔗 Hearing V8—7 (Major):    • Harmonic Dictation #7 – Hearing 8–7 in the...   🔗 Hearing V8—7 (Minor):    • Harmonic Dictation #8 – Hearing 8–7 in the...   🔗 Next Episode in the Chord by Chord Series:    • How to Connect I to I⁶ (Choosing the Right...   00:00 The 8–7 figure 02:51 Another way to connect V to V⁷ 04:40 V 8–7 in a Bach chorale 05:21 Why V can move to V⁷, but not the other way around