Other Uses of Secondary Dominants

We have now examined the “standard” and most typical uses of secondary dominant and leading‐tone chords. In this section, we will explore a few techniques that are found fairly often that deviate from the standard resolutions and voice‐leading rules.

Delayed and Irregular Resolutions

Typically, V7/V or viio7/V should resolve to V; however, it is fairly common to 6 resolve them to a cadential I 4 first. This is considered a delayed resolution, as the true resolution to V simply happens one chord later.

o7 6 Figure 1: Delayed Resolution of vii /V to I 4

C C/E FF#o7 C/G G 7 C & ˙ ˙ ˙ b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ? ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ C: I I6 IV viio7/V I6 V7 I 4

An irregular resolution occurs when a secondary dominant (or leading‐tone) chord resolves to a chord other than I (or i) in the tonicized key. For example, it is fairly common for composers to resolve V/V or viio/V to viio or viio7. This works because viio is a dominant‐function chord that substitutes for V. Less common is when V/V is resolved 6 directly to a root‐position I chord that is not a cadential 4 .

Figure 2: Irregular Resolutions to viio7

D 7/F# Bo7/F C/E F#ø7 Bo7/F C/E & ˙ b˙ w ˙ b˙ w

˙ w ˙ w ? #˙ n˙ w #˙ n˙ w C: V6/V viio4 I6 viiø7/V viio4 I6 5 3 3

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Another interesting progression that occurs with some frequency is when the V7/vi resolves to IV. Nineteenth‐century composers including Schumann used this, and it is found in famous songs like “Sea of Love” and “Dock of the Bay”. Figure 3 shows this in the key of G major.

Figure 3: Irregular Resolution: V7/vi to IV

GB7 CD7 G # & ˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙˙ w ? # ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w G: I V7/vi IV V7 I

Although this progression is a bit perplexing at first, the reason it works so well is because the IV chord is also the “VI/vi”, which makes it the same as a V–vi deceptive progression in the key of E minor. Other possibilities (which are less‐common) are V7/iii – I, V7/IV – ii, and V7/V – iii.

Direct Chromaticism and Cross­Relations

As mentioned earlier, secondary dominants can resolve to other secondary dominants in a circle progression. This type of progression will create two chromatically descending lines a tritone apart. This is called direct chromaticism, where voices are resolved by half‐ step (sometimes against their tendency) to create a smooth chromatic line.

Figure 4: Dominant Seventh Circle Progression: Direct Chromaticism

E7 A 7 D 7 G 7 C

& #˙ n˙ #˙ n˙ w ˙ #˙ ˙ ˙ ? ˙ ˙ w C: V7/vi V7/ii V7/V V7 I

Direct chromaticism is necessary in order to harmonize a chromatic melody or bass line, and is commonly used in highly chromatic styles such as barbershop quartets.

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With direct chromaticism the leading tones of each chord are freely resolved. In Figure 4, note that the seventh of each chord resolves to the third of the next chord, and vice versa.

The alternative would be to strictly follow the rule of the sevenths, which would break up the chromaticism into different lines. This would produce a cross­relation among several pairs of voices. A cross­relation is when a note and its chromatic partner (such as F and F#) appear either at the same time or right after one another in different voices.

Figure 5: Dominant Seventh Circle Progression: Cross­Relations

E7 A 7 D 7 G 7 C

n˙ w & #˙ n˙˙ # ˙ ˙ w n˙ ˙ #˙ ˙ w ? ˙ ˙ ˙ w C: V7/vi V7/ii V7/V V7 I

Some music theorists (such as Aldwell & Schacter) are very concerned with cross‐relations and argue that they produce a “harsh” sound, while other theorists (such as Kostka & Payne) are hardly concerned with them at all. Although cross‐relations do make musical sense, clearly the progression shown in Figure 4 sounds smoother and more elegant than the one in Figure 5. Suffice to say that composers have freely used both direct chromaticism and cross‐relations as the musical situation demanded.

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