Leading Tone Chord

Definition

A leading tone chord is built on the seventh scale degree of a diatonic scale, functioning as a predominant chord that typically resolves to the tonic chord. This chord creates a strong sense of tension due to its proximity to the tonic and plays a crucial role in establishing harmonic direction in music. It enhances the expressiveness of musical phrases by leading listeners' ears toward resolution.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The leading tone chord is often notated as a diminished triad, consisting of the root, minor third, and diminished fifth.
2. In harmonic contexts, it typically resolves upward to the tonic chord, creating a strong pull towards resolution.
3. Leading tone chords can be used in both major and minor keys, though their function may vary slightly depending on the key signature.
4. In classical music, composers frequently use leading tone chords to enhance modulation or transition between keys.
5. The use of leading tone chords can create emotional tension, making them a powerful tool for composers in shaping musical narratives.

Review Questions

• How does the leading tone chord function within the context of harmonic progressions?
  • The leading tone chord serves as a bridge in harmonic progressions, creating tension that naturally resolves to the tonic. By being built on the seventh scale degree, it has a strong tendency to lead into the tonic chord. This function is essential for establishing musical phrases and giving direction to the overall structure of a piece.
• Compare and contrast the roles of leading tone chords and secondary dominant chords in harmonic movement.
  • Leading tone chords primarily create tension that resolves directly to the tonic chord, while secondary dominant chords introduce a dominant function to non-tonic chords, often leading to their resolution. While both contribute to harmonic movement, leading tone chords emphasize resolution to the tonic more explicitly, whereas secondary dominants temporarily elevate other diatonic chords within a progression.
• Evaluate how composers can creatively utilize leading tone chords to enhance musical storytelling.
  • Composers can strategically employ leading tone chords to intensify moments of tension before crucial resolutions, enriching the narrative arc of their compositions. By placing these chords at pivotal points within a piece, composers can evoke emotional responses from listeners. The careful placement and resolution of leading tone chords can help convey themes such as longing or anticipation, making them vital elements in effective musical storytelling.

Related terms

Diatonic Scale: A scale that consists of seven pitches, where each pitch corresponds to a degree in the scale and follows a specific pattern of whole and half steps.

Tonic: The first scale degree of a diatonic scale, serving as the home note or central pitch around which other notes are organized.

Secondary Dominant: A dominant chord that resolves to a diatonic chord other than the tonic, temporarily emphasizing that chord as if it were the tonic.