{"id":43578,"date":"2023-10-18T18:10:12","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T16:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edwinm29.sg-host.com\/?p=43578"},"modified":"2025-08-05T22:16:39","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T20:16:39","slug":"secondary-dominant-chords-in-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding secondary dominant chords on piano"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #103133;color:#103133\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #103133;color:#103133\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#What_is_a_dominant_chord\" >What is a dominant chord?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#What_are_secondary_dominant_chords\" >What are secondary dominant chords?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#How_to_build_secondary_dominant_chords\" >How to build secondary dominant chords?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#How_to_use_secondary_dominants_in_music\" >How to use secondary dominants in music?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#How_to_find_secondary_dominant_chords\" >How to find secondary dominant chords?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/#Chord_progressions_using_secondary_dominants\" >Chord progressions using secondary dominants<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>Secondary dominant chords play a key role in music by adding unexpected color and tension that enrich the harmonic landscape. Unlike the basic dominant chord built on the fifth note of a scale, secondary dominants temporarily tonicize chords other than the main key center, opening up new possibilities for movement and expression.<\/p>\n<p>At Skoove, we believe that mastering secondary dominant chords is essential for anyone looking to elevate their piano playing or songwriting. These chords introduce exciting twists to familiar progressions, making your music sound more vibrant and dynamic.<br \/>\nIn this article, you\u2019ll discover what secondary dominant chords are, why they\u2019re so important, and how they enhance music by creating richer, more compelling harmonies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"componentContainer\"><div class=\"row\"><div class=\"column\"><div class=\"h2Notable\">Start your musical journey<\/div><ul><li><span><strong>Fall in love with the music -<\/strong> Learn your favorite songs, at a level suitable for you.<\/span><\/li><li><span><strong>Enjoy interactive piano lessons -<\/strong> Explore courses covering music theory, technique chords & more.<\/span><\/li><li><span><strong>Get real-time feedback -<\/strong> Skoove's feedback tells you what went well and what needs practice.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><div class=\"column\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/optimized\/iPhone15-1A-3-800.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"846\" class=\"alignnone size-large\" \/><\/div><\/div><small><\/small><a class=\"skooveButton skooveButtonWithin\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Book a trial lesson\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/auth\/register_promotion?coupon=7d-blog-npd&utm_source=blog&utm_medium=btf&utm_campaign=7d-blog-npd&t=Start%20a%207%20day%20free%20trial&st=No%20credit%20card%20required!\" rel=\"noopener\">Book a trial lesson<\/a><small>No credit card details required<\/small><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_dominant_chord\"><\/span><strong>What is a dominant chord?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To understand secondary dominants, we first need to look at dominant chords. A dominant chord is built on the fifth note of a scale. That\u2019s why it\u2019s often called the V chord. In the key of <\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/c-major-scale\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">C major<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, that\u2019s a G major chord.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you add one more note,a minor seventh to that G chord, you get a dominant seventh chord, written as G7. This chord creates tension that feels like it wants to go somewhere, usually back \u201chome\u201d to the tonic chord, which is C major in this case.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This feeling comes from a special note inside the dominant chord called the leading tone. It\u2019s just one half step away from the tonic and gives that strong pull back to the root. That pull is what makes dominant chords so important in harmony.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re still learning the basics, make sure to review<\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/major-and-minor-chords\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">major and minor chords<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and how they function in different keys.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_secondary_dominant_chords\"><\/span><strong>What are secondary dominant chords?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While dominant chords are essential, secondary dominants offer a powerful way to spice up harmony. As their name suggests, they behave like dominants but resolve to a chord other than the tonic.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in C major, the main dominant chord is G7, which resolves to C. But a secondary dominant like D7 resolves to G, which then resolves to C. It creates a beautiful chain of tension and release, making harmony more expressive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll see secondary dominants used all the time in<\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/jazz-chords-piano\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">jazz chords<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and other styles where colorful harmony is key. They&#8217;re especially effective when combined with<\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/piano-chord-inversions\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chord inversions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to create smooth voice leading.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_build_secondary_dominant_chords\"><\/span><strong>How to build secondary dominant chords?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s look at how to build a secondary dominant chord, using the key of C major as an example. One of the most common secondary dominants is called the \u201cfive of five,\u201d written as V of V or V\/V.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, we find the fifth degree (V) of the C major scale. Counting up from C, the notes are D, E, F, G. So, G is the root of the V chord in C major.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, we find the fifth degree of the<\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/g-major-scale\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> G major scale<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, because we want the dominant of G. Starting on G, count up five notes: G, A, B, C, D. The fifth note is D. This means D (or D7 if we add the seventh) is the secondary dominant\u2014V of V\u2014in the key of C.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-75766 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Image of secondary dominant chords\" width=\"638\" height=\"132\" srcset=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-scaled.jpg 2560w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-300x62.jpg 300w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-1024x212.jpg 1024w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-768x159.jpg 768w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-1536x317.jpg 1536w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-2048x423.jpg 2048w, \/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Piano-rhthym-guide-2103-x-1668-px-11-640x132.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding the seventh note to this chord is common and helps to create a stronger dominant sound. That\u2019s why you\u2019ll often see it written as D7 instead of just D.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Important tips when building secondary dominants<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This method doesn\u2019t work for the seventh degree of the scale. That\u2019s why you won\u2019t find a V of vii chord as a valid secondary dominant.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your secondary dominant chord sounds like a chord already in the key, you should add the seventh to make it clear it\u2019s a dominant chord and not just a regular chord from the scale.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_use_secondary_dominants_in_music\"><\/span><strong>How to use secondary dominants in music?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the main reasons musicians use secondary dominants is to add suspense, tension, and surprise to their music. When writing music and thinking about harmony, we are always looking for ways to make it more interesting. Secondary dominants help with that.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> By introducing a secondary dominant chord, you give the listener something unexpected that grabs their attention. This little twist can make a song more exciting and keep it feeling fresh.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, the jazz standard \u201cFly Me to the Moon,\u201d famously performed by Frank Sinatra, uses many secondary dominants to create its rich, colorful sound. You can hear A7 leading to Dm, then D7 leading to G, and G7 resolving to C. These chord moves add a smooth, jazzy tension and release that perfectly illustrate how secondary dominants work in real music. This example is perfect if you want to hear how secondary dominants add excitement in a jazz context.<\/span><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 47.87% 0 0 0; position: relative;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" title=\"Fly Me To the Moon - Frank Sinatra\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/1042464485?badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/api\/player.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class='maxbutton-1-container mb-container'><a class=\"maxbutton-1 maxbutton maxbutton-christmas\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Start free trial\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/en\/auth\/register_promotion?coupon=7d-blog-npd\"><span class='mb-text'>Start free trial<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_find_secondary_dominant_chords\"><\/span><strong>How to find secondary dominant chords?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hardest part of spotting secondary dominants is confirming the main key first. Since secondary dominants are not part of the key (they\u2019re non-diatonic), they can make identifying the key trickier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you analyse a chord progression, if a chord doesn\u2019t fit the key, check if it\u2019s a V chord leading to another chord within the key. That\u2019s likely a secondary dominant.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Chord_progressions_using_secondary_dominants\"><\/span><strong>Chord progressions using secondary dominants<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Secondary dominants add excitement and color to <\/span><a href=\"\/blog\/chord-progressions-on-piano\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">chord progressions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They bring in notes that don\u2019t normally belong to the main scale, which makes the music more interesting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, in the key of C major, adding a D7 chord introduces an F\u266f note, which is not in the C major scale. This surprise note can grab the listener\u2019s attention and make the music stand out.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some common chord progressions that use secondary dominants:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span class=\"OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">C &#8211; Am &#8211; D7 &#8211; G7 (V\/V)<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">C &#8211; G7 &#8211; A7 &#8211; Dm &#8211; G7 (V\/ii)<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">C &#8211; Am &#8211; G7 &#8211; C &#8211; E7 &#8211; Am (V\/vi)<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span class=\"OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none\">C &#8211; F &#8211; G7 &#8211; C &#8211; B7 &#8211; Em &#8211; Am (V\/iii)<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"127\" data-end=\"368\">Secondary dominants add tension, color, and movement to your chord progressions. By learning how they work, you can make your music sound more expressive and interesting. Try adding them into your songs and see how they transform your sound. At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/en\">Skoove<\/a>, we make it easy to explore these chords through fun, step-by-step piano lessons that help you bring music theory to life.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ast-oembed-container\"><iframe title=\"Skoove\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/479012867?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"500\" height=\"231\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class='maxbutton-1-container mb-container'><a class=\"maxbutton-1 maxbutton maxbutton-christmas\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Start free trial\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/en\/auth\/register_promotion?coupon=7d-blog-npd\"><span class='mb-text'>Start free trial<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Author of this blog post:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-6965 aligncenter\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Author-Box-Edward-1.png\" alt=\"Edward Bond\" width=\"212\" height=\"217\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Eddie Bond is a multi-instrumentalist performer, composer, and music instructor currently based in Seattle, Washington USA. He has performed extensively in the US, Canada, Argentina, and China, released over 40 albums, and has over a decade experience working with music students of all ages and ability levels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Secondary dominant chords play a key role in music by adding unexpected color and tension that enrich the harmonic landscape. Unlike the basic dominant chord built on the fifth note of a scale, secondary dominants temporarily tonicize chords other than the main key center, opening up new possibilities for movement and expression. At Skoove, we &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"\/blog\/secondary-dominant-chords-in-music\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Understanding secondary dominant chords on piano<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":43580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"What is a secondary dominant chord?","_seopress_titles_desc":"Learn how secondary dominant chords work in music. Explore clear examples, piano tips, and how these chords add tension and movement to progressions.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"both","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":301,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43578","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-theory"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43578","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43578"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43578\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43578"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43578"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.skoove.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43578"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}