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17.4: Analyzing Secondary Dominants

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    117485
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    17.4 Analyzing Secondary Dominants

    When you encounter a chord with a chromaticism and suspect it is a secondary dominant, use the following process.

    1. Stack the chord in thirds to determine the root and quality. If the chord quality is major (if a triad) or a major–minor seventh chord, go on to step 2. If the chord quality is not major or major–minor seventh, the chord is not a secondary dominant.

      sec-dom-analyzing-stack-in-thirds.svg

      The chord in question is an F♯ major triad in first inversion.

    2. Determine the note that would be a perfect 5th below the root of the chord you are analyzing. If this note would be the root of a diatonic chord, the chord you are analyzing is a secondary dominant.

      sec-dom-analyzing-root-down-P5.svg

      Since B is 5^ , the F♯ major chord in first inversion is tonicizing VV. Therefore the chord is VVV6/V.


    This page titled 17.4: Analyzing Secondary Dominants is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robert Hutchinson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.