What are Secondary Dominants? 1. They are the most common type of altered chord since the chromatic note creates a functional dominant harmony FUNDAMENTAL HARMONY 2. The normal dominant chord (V) acts as the 5th chord of the tonic chord (I). Dr. Declan Plummer Secondary dominants act as the 5th Lesson 10: Chromatic Chords Part 1 chord of any other major or minor chord (Borrowed Chords, Altered Chords & Secondary Function Chords) besides the tonic chord: Major Keys Minor Keys V/ii or V7/ii V/iv or V7/iv V/iii or V7/iii V/V or V7/V V7/IV V7/VI V/V or V7/V V/VII or V7/VII V/vi or V7/vi Progression without secondary dominants 7 Progression with V/V and V7/IV secondary dominants Kinderscenen (‘Träumerei’) by Schumann 3. Secondary dominants often give the effect of a V-I cadence in a key other than the tonic. In other words they act as the dominants of the chords that usually follow them. 4. Secondary dominants are used primarily for colour instead of modulation,so they are followed by chords which continue in the old key, with the foreign note quickly cancelled. 0:16 5. Chromatic note in a secondary dominant chord should not be doubled. (V - I) (V - I) 9 6 6 F major: I V 7 /V I 4 V ii V/ii ii V I Prelude No.7 (Op.28) by Chopin Start A major I V7/ii ii 6. Secondary Dominants are usually 7. Secondary Dominants can also be followed by a seventh chord or followed by the chord for which (V - I) another secondary dominant chord. they act as the dominant: so in D minor • notice that if a seventh chord follows a secondary dominant the V/ii or V7/ii is usually followed by chord ii, chromatic note no longer rises! V/V or V7/V is usually followed by chord V This creates the authentic cadence relationship between both chords, with the second chord acting as a ‘temporary tonic’. This is known as tonicization. So in C major, a V7/ii - ii progression is tonicizing chord ii (DFA), by creating an authentic cadence in D minor between both chords. Notice how the chromatic note acts as a leading note moving upwards and the 7th of V7/ii acts a normal 7th and falls! Secondary Dominants in Major Keys 9. There are some chords that don’t have secondary dominants, so you can’t tonicize them: • In major keys you can’t tonicize viio • In minor keys you can’t tonicize iio, III+ or viio • Therefore the following secondary dominant chords don’t exist: V/viio, V/iio and V/III+ - WHY? • Remember that secondary dominants and the chords that usually follow them create the feeling of an authentic cadence in a new key (tonicization), and keys can only be major or minor! • For example: V/viio - viio in C major is not possible because viio is a B diminished chord, and it can’t be tonicized because there is no such key as B diminished! viio is too unstable to be used to create a new 8. V/IV is not a great secondary dominant because it is a normal tonic. This same logic applies to all viio, ii o , III+ chords. diatonic chord (the tonic chord). You need a V7 chord to get the chromatic note (B$) and achieve the proper effect. V7/IV is better! Hark the Herald Angels Sing Secondary Dominants in Minor Keys o o Identifying Secondary Dominants Secondary Leading-Note Chords 1. It is important to remember that V and viio are closely related. Both 1. If you encounter an altered chord in a passage of music, chances are can both function as dominants and be used at cadences, good that it will be a secondary dominant: but V is more powerful that viio, as its root is a P5 above tonic. • Is the chord a major triad or major chord with a minor 7th? If not, then it cannot be a secondary dominant. Note that major Key: chords with a minor 7th are almost always dominant C major seventh chords (V7). V viio • Find the note a perfect 5th below the root of the altered chord. Would a major or minor triad built on that note belong in this key? If so, the altered chord is a secondary dominant. Key: 2. Context matters! A secondary dominant will usually resolve to its C major temporary tonic. This may also help you identify the secondary dominant chord. Secondary dominants can also be inverted! V I viio6 I Secondary Leading-Note Chords Secondary Leading-Note Chords Major keys 2. The relationship between V and viio is even more apparent when we add 7ths to each chord to make V7 and viiø7. Key: C major V7 viiø7 (7) o(7) ø(7) 3. As a result of the similarity between V and vii or vii , any chord half-diminished sevenths only used for major tonicisation that can be tonicized by a secondary dominant can also be tonicized by a secondary leading-note chord as well! Secondary Leading-Note Chords Minor keys Identifying Secondary Leading-Note Chords 1. If you encounter an altered chord in a passage of music, and it is not a secondary dominant, there is a good chance it will be a secondary learning-note chord. • Is the chord a diminished triad, or a diminished seventh chord or a half-diminished seventh chord? If not, then it cannot be a secondary leading-note chord. Note that fully diminished chords are Identical to iio almost always leading-note seventh chords (viio7). • Find the note a minor 2nd above the root of the altered chord. Would a major or minor triad built on that note belong in this key? If so, the altered chord is a secondary leading-note chord. half-diminished sevenths only used for major tonicisation 2. Context matters! A secondary leading-note chord will usually resolve to its temporary tonic. This may also help you identify the secondary Identical to iiø7 leading-note chord. Mozart’s Requiem - ‘Lacrimosa’ bars 5-8 0:31.