Guitar Theory For Dummies by Desi Serna

Author:Desi Serna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2013-09-20T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Dominant Function and Voice Leading

In This Chapter

Getting to know the functions of dominant 7th chords

Playing sample chord progressions

Leading from one chord voicing to another

Access the audio and video at www.dummies.com/go/guitartheory

The dominant chord (or the chord built on the 5th degree of a scale) is a fairly important chord in music because its structure and tendency toward the tonic chord really help define the tonal center of a progression. In this chapter, you get to know dominant chords and find out how to use them in your music. You also take a look at secondary dominants, which allow you to use the dominant sound to strengthen a progression toward chords other than the tonic. In addition, you discover the ins and outs of voice leading.

Listen to Audio Track 9 to hear examples of dominant function and voice leading plus get an idea of what this chapter is all about.

Chord Function and the Dominant Chord

The word dominant refers to two things in guitar theory:

The first is the 5th degree of the major scale, named the dominant.

The second is a major triad with a minor 7th, called the dominant 7th chord, which naturally occurs on the 5th scale degree.

The chord function on V is the most important example of this. Because it’s built on the 5th scale degree, or the dominant note, the V chord has what’s sometimes called a dominant function. In a chord progression like I-V, the dominant chord has a sense of movement, or instability, that makes the progression want to continue leading back to the tonic, chord I. You can intensify this leading quality of V by adding a 7th to the chord, making V7, or a dominant 7th chord. Every major scale has a naturally occurring V7 chord: G7 in C major, D7 in G major, A7 in D major, and so on. Figure 9-1 gives you a sample I-V7 chord progression in C.

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