Harmony - Introduction to Secondary Dominants

Building on existing skills

In harmonic dictations in Aural Skills III, we identified harmonies by internalizing the logic of root movement and chord progression. We will continue to do so – now, adding the new topic of secondary dominants.

Definition

A secondary dominant occurs when we briefly tonicize a key by having a dominant-to-tonic progression in that key.

How to hear secondary dominants

Secondary dominants are relatively easy to identify, because you will hear a chord containing accidentals that do not occur within the existing key signature. The root movement will indicate the chord that is being tonicized.

A characteristic example

• Notice the C-sharp on measure 1, beat 2: this indicates ti of the tonicized key.
• The root movement also indicates which key is to be tonicized. Notice the ascending perfect fourth between A and D. This is the sol and do of the tonicized key.