Unit 6-1: Secondary Dominants of IV and V

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Define what a secondary dominant chord is in music and identify instances in examples from music repertoire.
Spell and identify a secondary dominant using both Roman numeral and lead sheet notation.
Describe how a secondary dominant chord typically functions within a chord progression and what differentiates this chord from other Mm7 chords used in jazz and popular music.
Compose a chord progression and harmonize a melody using a V/V and V7/IV.
Analyze examples from the repertoire that use secondary dominants and discuss different ways that artists use these chords.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Tonicization (Peterson & Lavengood, OMT)
Secondary Dominants (Wilmoth, PopGrammar)

Watch

What Are Secondary Dominants
2 Min Music Theory (3 mins)

Songs that Use Secondary Dominants
David Bennett (15 mins)

Introduction to Applied Dominant Chords
Dr. Anna Gawboy (8 mins) Watch on Vimeo here

Explore

Explore chord progressions with secondary dominants:

HookTheory: Check out the HookTheory Trends page here. Change the dropdown box on the top right from "C" to "Rel" to see Roman numerals. Then, try selecting the V/V or V7/IV Roman numeral and build a few progressions to listen to songs that use these progressions. (This site uses crowd-sourced examples, so be sure to listen carefully to check for accuracy!)

Chord Player: Practice building chord progressions in Chord Player that use secondary dominants and singing along with an improvised melody to get the sound of these chords in your ears. Here's a looped progression to start with: I - vi - V/V - V (in A major: A - F#m - B - E).

Study Aids

Example of a ii7-V-I Progression Rewritten as a V7/V-V-I Progression
Source: Timothy Rolls (Theory II: Applied Chords)

This is a ii7-V-I progression rewritten as a V7/V-V-I progression. The V7/V replaces the ii7, accomplished by scale degree 4 with a raised SD4. The V is replaced with a V8-7.

In-Class Activities

Discussion

Definitions: What is a secondary dominant (or applied chord) and how does it function within the phrase model?
Spelling & Voiceleading: What are two different strategies for spelling the V/V or V7/V? What chromatic notes occur when spelling the chord in major and minor? What are some of the voice leading considerations when spelling these chords?

Activities

Online Practice Worksheets:
- - Worksheet 1: Spelling and partwriting V7/V and inversions (Louden).
  - Worksheet 2 (See the Parts II and III): Spelling, harmonization, and analysis with V/V and V7/V (from Fundamentals, Function, and Form).
Composition: Compose two different 4-bar chord progressions in different meters and keys. The first should use a root-position V/V or V7/V; the second should use an inverted secondary dominant of V. Partwrite one progression in chorale style and the other in keyboard style. Label the cadences. Identify Roman numerals and chord function (T, PD, D) below the staff. If there's time, also compose a melody for the chord progression.
Harmonization: Have a classmate or your instructor select a melody from the anthology, but remove (or cover up) the chords. Harmonize the melody, incorporating either V/V, V7/V, or V7/IV chord. Write out a basic 3- or 4-way rhythmic accompaniment, then listen to your harmonization. Compare your harmonization to the original in the anthology.
Analysis: Analyze examples from the repertoire in the Anthology section below. Identify Roman numerals, chord function (T, PD, D), cadences, and non-chord tones by type.

Repertoire for Practice

Examples for Analysis: This section of the anthology includes examples for listening and analysis with secondary dominants of V and other chords.

Anthology: Secondary Dominants

Assignment

Assignment 6-1

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Other Applied Chords

Want to learn more?

Check out another explanation and set of examples in Hutchinson's, Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom, "Secondary Dominant Chords"

Walter Everett, "Chromatic Harmony" in The Foundations of Rock: From" Blue Suede Shoes" to" Suite: Judy Blue Eyes". Oxford University Press, 2008.

Practice

Musition:
- Advanced Progressions: Levels 2a–2b
- Chords: Level 8a (practice building Mm7 chords)
- Chromatic Chords: Level 1
- Scale Degree Function: Levels 4a–5a
- Scale Degrees: Level 9
- Lead Sheet Analysis: Level 5a
Quizlet:
- - Dom7 Chord Construction (for review)
  - Roots of V7/V chords (Keys): Identify the root of the V7/V chord in various keys.

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