secondary dominant
Temporary key shift
A secondary dominant is a chord that functions as the dominant (the chord built on the fifth scale degree) of a chord other than the tonic.
It creates momentary tension toward a non-tonic chord, adding harmonic color and forward motion.
In the key of C major, a D major chord would be a secondary dominant of G, written as V/V (five of five).
Secondary dominants are essential to chromatic harmony and appear constantly in classical, jazz, and popular music.
- chromaticRelating to color
- leading toneScale's penultimate degree
- tensionStretched or strained state
- modulationVarying signals to transmit
- circle of fifthsKey relationships shown circularly
harmonic motion · tritone · seventh chord · Bach · bebop · anticipation · chord progression
- harmonyharmony, chord, chords, triad, triads
- chordsG chord, A major, A minor, B major, B minor
- chord progressionsprogression, chord change, twelve-bar blues, twelve bar blues, blues progression
secondary, secondarily, second, secondly, dominant, dominantly, dominance, dominate, dominated