The second to last chord in this example is built on the dominant (V) and found here in the circle progression on C: I-IV-vii^o-iii-vi-ii-V-I Play (help·info)

In music, the dominant is the fifth degree (pitch) of a musical scale. The dominant (diatonic function) has the role of creating instability that requires the tonic or goal-tone for release.

For example, in the C major scale (white keys on a piano, starting with C), the dominant is the note G; and the dominant chord uses the notes G, B, and D.

In music theory, the dominant chord is symbolized by the Roman numeral V if it is within the major mode (because it is a major triad, for example G-B-D in C major) or v if it is within the minor mode (because it is a minor triad, for example G-B♭-D in C minor, unless of course the B♭ is sharpened to B natural, as will often occur since B♮ is the leading tone for the C minor scale).

As defined by the 19th century musicologist Joseph Fétis the dominante was a seventh chord over the first note of a descending perfect fifth in the basse fondamentale or root progression, the common practice period dominant seventh he named the dominante tonique (Dahlhaus 1990, p.143).

Dominant (V) in ii-V-I cadence on C Play (help·info)

A cadential dominant chord followed by a tonic chord (the chord of the key of the piece) is denominated as authentic cadence. If the roots are in the bass and the tonic is in the highest voice, it is called a perfect authentic cadence.

"Dominant" also refers to a relationship of musical keys. For example, relative to the key of C major, the key of G major is the dominant. Music which modulates (changes key) often modulates into the dominant. Modulation into the dominant key often creates a sense of increased tension; as opposed to modulation into subdominant (fourth note of the scale), which creates a sense of musical relaxation.

The dominant chord itself is composed of the dominant (sol), the leading-tone (ti), and the supertonic (re) scale degrees. According to the rules of tonal resolution, both the leading-tone and the supertonic primarily resolve to the tonic. These two tones resolving to the tonic are strengthened by the dominant scale degree, which is a common tone between the tonic and dominant chords. The dominant may also be considered the result of a transformational operation applied to the tonic that most closely resembles the tonic by some clear-cut criteria such as common tones (Perle 1955 cited in Wilson 1992, p.37-38).

[edit] In non-Western music

The dominant is an important concept in Middle Eastern music. In the Arabic maqam and the Turkish makam, scales are made up of trichords, tetrachords and pentachords (each called a jins in Arabic), with the tonic of a maqam being the lowest note of the lower jins and the dominant being that of the upper jins. The dominant of a maqam is not always the fifth, however; for example, in maqams Kurd and Bayati, the dominant is the fourth, and in maqam Saba, the dominant is the minor third. A maqam may have more than one dominant.

[edit] See also

• Dominant key
• Dominant seventh chord
• Secondary dominant
• For use of the term "dominant" as a reciting tone in Gregorian chant, see church modes.

[edit] Resources

• Dahlhaus, Carl. Gjerdingen, Robert O. trans. (1990). Studies in the Origin of Harmonic Tonality. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-09135-8.
• Wilson, Paul (1992). The Music of Béla Bartók. ISBN 0-300-05111-5.
• Perle, George (1955). "Symmetrical Formations in the String Quartets of Béla Bartók", Music Review 16: 300-312. Cited in Wilson (1992).