Chapter 14 Secondary Dominants and Leading-Tone Chords

These chords act as dominants and leading tones to scale degrees other than the tonic.
Secondary Dominants: Chords that're altered to sound like dominants. This means changing triads to
make them maor and changing se!enth chords to make them maor-minor. "ny # or m diatonic triad
may $e preceded $y a chord that is% in e&&ect% its dominant or leading tone.
C'"("CT)(*ST*CS +, S)C+-D"(. D+#*-"-TS
1. To $e a secondary dominant% a chord must $e either a # triad or a #-m se!enth chord.
/hen you see the slash% read it as the 0ord 1o&2. The sym$ol 34!i means 3 o& !i.
5. Secondary dominants are called altered chords $ecause they contain nondiatonic tones-
tones that are not &ound in the pre!ailing key. Secondary dominants are created out o&
diatonic chords that ha!e $een changed to make them # and #-m.
6. Secondary dominants% $ecause they're temporarily raised to the status o& dominant%
naturally resol!e to their temporary tonic% ust as primary dominants 738 resol!e to tonic
7*8. Thus% most o&ten secondary dominants mo!e in circle progressions 34!i to !i% 34ii to
ii% 34i! to i!% and 343 to 3.
4. *n circle progressions% the chord to 0hich secondary dominants progress is called a
tonici9ed chord. /hen 34ii progresses to ii% the ii triad is the tonici9ed chord. -otice that
only # and m chords can &unction as tonici9ed chords. This process o& creating the
e&&ect o& a temporary tonic is kno0n as tonici9ation.
:. Secondary dominants may occasionally &ollo0 other secondary dominants. *n these
cases the progression is &re;uently $ased on circle progression root mo!ement.
<. *n&re;uently% a secondary dominant 0ill resol!e une=pectedly to a chord that does not
&ollo0 circle progression root mo!ement.
>. ?ust as primary dominants may $e in!erted% so also may secondary dominants.
@. *n # keys% the secondary dominant triad o& *3 is simply the tonic 7*8% so it is not called a
secondary dominant 7no altered pitches8. 'o0e!er% 3>4*3 7in C maor% C-)-A-B&lat8
does contain an altered note% so it is listed as a secondary dominant. *n m keys% $oth 34i!
and 3>4i! include altered pitches and are considered secondary dominants.
Cart /riting Secondary Dominant Chords
The !oice leading o& secondary dominant chords is the same as &or primary dominant chords.
Secondary dominant triads re;uire that you care&ully maintain recommended dou$lings $ecause the
third o& the chord has the &unction o& a leading tone and should not $e dou$led. "ll other con!entional
part-0riting practices apply.
(esol!e the >
th
o& the 3>4 chord do0n one scale degree in the same !oice. *t is important to
remem$er that all 4 &actors o& the 3>4 are usually present% $ut &or smoothness o& !oice leading% the :
th

may $e omitted and the root dou$led.