10.1 Secondary Dominants and Leading Tone Chords
3 min read•july 29, 2024
Secondary dominants and leading tone chords are game-changers in music. They add spice to your harmonic palette, letting you temporarily shift focus to other chords. Think of them as musical plot twists that keep things interesting.
These chords are part of the bigger picture of chromatic harmony. They're like secret passageways between keys, giving you more options to create tension and in your music. Mastering them opens up a world of creative possibilities.
Secondary Dominants and Leading Tone Chords
Identifying Secondary Dominants
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- Secondary dominants are chromatically altered chords that temporarily tonicize a diatonic chord other than the tonic
- Notated with a slash, such as or
- Identification requires analyzing the and determining the temporary key center
- In the key of C major, a D major triad (D-F#-A) would be a V/V, as the F# is a chromatic alteration that tonicizes the dominant (G major)
Identifying Secondary Leading Tone Chords
- Secondary leading tone chords, like or , also temporarily tonicize a chord other than the tonic
- Contain the leading tone of the tonicized key
- Identification requires analyzing the chromatic alterations and determining the temporary key center
- In the key of C major, an F# diminished triad (F#-A-C) would be a viio/V, as it contains the leading tone (F#) of the dominant key
Function and Resolution of Secondary Chords
Function of Secondary Dominants
- Function as temporary dominants of a diatonic chord, creating a brief
- Typically resolve to the diatonic chord a fifth below
- V/V resolves to V
- V7/ii resolves to ii
- V/vi resolves to vi
- Resolution is often followed by a return to the original key, creating a sense of and release
Function of Secondary Leading Tone Chords
- Have a similar function to secondary dominants, acting as the of the temporary key
- Resolve to the diatonic chord a half-step above the root of the leading tone chord
- viio/V resolves to V
- viio7/ii resolves to ii
- viio/iii resolves to iii
- Resolution is often followed by a return to the original key, creating a sense of harmonic tension and release
Composing with Secondary Chords
Incorporating Secondary Dominants
- Consider the harmonic context and the desired temporary tonicization when composing with secondary dominants
- should be approached and resolved appropriately
- Example progression: I - V/ii - ii - V - I
- Be mindful of voice leading to ensure smooth transitions between harmonies
Incorporating Secondary Leading Tone Chords
- Can add harmonic interest and tension to a progression
- Often appear as diminished triads or fully diminished seventh chords
- Example progression: I - viio/V - V7 - I
- Be mindful of voice leading to ensure smooth transitions between harmonies
Combining Secondary Dominants and Leading Tone Chords
- Can create more complex chromatic harmonies and modulations
- Example progression: I - V/vi - vi - viio/ii - ii - V7 - I
- Be mindful of voice leading to ensure smooth transitions between harmonies
Diatonic vs Chromatic Harmony
Diatonic Harmony
- Diatonic harmonies are chords that belong to the key signature of the current key, using only the notes of the corresponding scale
- In C major, the diatonic triads are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim
- Analyzing the absence of accidentals helps identify diatonic harmonies
Chromatic Harmony
- Chromatic harmonies are chords that include notes outside of the current key signature, often featuring accidentals
- Secondary dominants, leading tone chords, borrowed chords, and Neapolitan sixths are examples of chromatic harmonies
- Analyzing the presence of accidentals and their harmonic function helps identify chromatic harmonies
- Add color, tension, and variety to a musical composition but should be used judiciously to maintain a sense of tonal center
- Understanding the context and resolution of chromatic harmonies is essential for proper analysis and composition
Key Terms to Review (19)
Chord Function Analysis: Chord function analysis is the process of identifying the role and purpose of chords within a musical context, focusing on how they relate to the tonal center and contribute to the overall harmonic structure. This analysis helps to understand how chords create tension and resolution, guide harmonic progressions, and influence the emotional character of music. By examining secondary dominants and leading tone chords, chord function analysis reveals the intricacies of tonal relationships and harmonic expectations in compositions.
Chord symbols: Chord symbols are shorthand notations used to represent chords in music, typically consisting of a root note, quality, and additional alterations or extensions. They provide musicians with a quick reference for chord structures, making it easier to read and play music without having to know every note in the chord. These symbols are essential in various musical contexts, including recognizing intervals, applying advanced notation practices, and understanding secondary dominants and leading tone chords.
Chromatic alterations: Chromatic alterations refer to the modification of specific notes in a musical scale by raising or lowering them using accidentals, typically to create tension, enhance harmonic movement, or facilitate modulation. These alterations are often employed in harmonic progressions to add color and complexity to the music, allowing composers to explore new tonalities and create richer emotional landscapes.
Circle of Fifths Progression: A circle of fifths progression is a harmonic sequence where chords are derived by moving around the circle of fifths, typically involving a sequence of dominant chords that resolve to their tonic counterparts. This method emphasizes the relationship between keys, enhancing modulation and creating tension and resolution through secondary dominants and leading tone chords. Understanding this progression allows composers to create fluid transitions and develop richer harmonic textures in their music.
Deceptive Cadence: A deceptive cadence is a harmonic progression that creates an expectation for resolution but instead leads to an unexpected chord, usually moving from the dominant chord (V) to the submediant (vi). This surprising shift serves to prolong tension and can add emotional depth to a piece of music, making it an important concept in harmonic analysis, cadence types, common chord progressions, and the use of secondary dominants.
Dominant function: The dominant function refers to the role of the dominant chord in harmony, which is to create tension that typically resolves to the tonic chord. This tension and resolution are fundamental in establishing a sense of stability and direction in music. The dominant function is essential for understanding harmonic progressions, including secondary dominants and altered chords, as it emphasizes the relationship between chords and their roles in tonal centers.
Figured bass: Figured bass is a musical notation system that indicates intervals and chords above a given bass note, typically used in the Baroque period. This method allows performers, particularly keyboard players, to interpret harmony and create accompaniment by realizing the chords based on the notated figures, which often indicate the necessary intervals to be played above the bass line. It connects deeply with harmonic progression rules and the use of secondary dominants and leading tone chords as it provides a framework for understanding and executing harmonic structures.
Harmonic Analysis: Harmonic analysis is the process of breaking down a piece of music into its component chords and understanding their function within a given key. This analysis allows musicians to identify the relationships between chords, including how secondary dominants and leading tone chords enhance harmonic progression. By understanding these relationships, musicians can better interpret and compose music that conveys intended emotions and resolves tension effectively.
Harmonic Tension: Harmonic tension refers to the feeling of instability or anticipation created by the use of chords that lead to a resolution, often arising from dissonant harmonies. It plays a critical role in music by building emotional intensity and expectation before the music resolves to a stable harmony, commonly seen in the context of secondary dominants and leading tone chords.
Heinrich Schenker: Heinrich Schenker was an influential Austrian music theorist, born in 1868, best known for developing Schenkerian analysis, a method of music analysis that reveals the underlying structure of musical compositions. His work focuses on the concepts of tonal hierarchies and the relationships between different musical elements, making it particularly relevant in understanding secondary dominants and leading tone chords as they relate to the overall tonal framework of a piece.
Leading Tone Chord: 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.
Resolution: Resolution refers to the process in music where dissonance is resolved into consonance, creating a sense of closure or satisfaction. It plays a crucial role in establishing harmonic progression, facilitating smooth voice leading, and enhancing the emotional impact of a composition.
Secondary dominant: A secondary dominant is a chord that serves as the dominant (V) of a chord other than the tonic in a given key, often leading to a temporary modulation or tonicization. This technique enriches harmonic progressions by introducing tension and resolution, making the music more dynamic and engaging.
Tadashi Isoyama: Tadashi Isoyama is a prominent figure in the field of music composition, known for his innovative approaches to harmony and his exploration of secondary dominants and leading tone chords. His work often emphasizes the importance of these musical elements in creating tension and resolution within compositions, making him an essential reference when studying advanced harmonic practices.
Tonicization: Tonicization is the process of temporarily treating a chord other than the tonic as if it were the tonic, creating a brief sense of resolution. This is often achieved through secondary dominants or leading tone chords that lead to the new tonic. By tonicizing a chord, composers can create interest and movement within a progression, enhancing harmonic complexity and color in the music.
V/v: The term v/v refers to the dominant chord of the dominant, specifically the fifth scale degree (v) in the key of the dominant (V). This chord is often used as a secondary dominant, creating tension that resolves to the dominant chord of the original key. By incorporating v/v, composers can enhance harmonic progression and add interest, making the music more engaging.
V7/ii: The v7/ii is a secondary dominant chord that functions as the dominant seventh chord of the supertonic (ii) in a given key. This chord leads to the ii chord, creating a temporary modulation and heightening harmonic interest within the progression. Understanding how this chord fits into the broader concept of secondary dominants helps illustrate its role in enhancing tension and resolution in music.
Viio/ii: The viio/ii chord is a leading tone diminished chord that functions as a secondary leading tone chord resolving to the supertonic (ii) in a given key. This chord provides a sense of tension and leads the listener towards the ii chord, making it a crucial part of harmonic progressions and creating forward motion in music.
Viio7/v: The viio7/v is a leading tone seventh chord built on the seventh scale degree of the dominant key's scale, functioning as a predominant chord that resolves to the V chord of that key. It plays a crucial role in harmonic progressions by intensifying the movement toward the V chord, creating a sense of tension and expectation. This chord is often used in both diatonic and chromatic harmony to enrich musical texture and facilitate modulations.