Secondary dominant

The double dominant is a chord, which is considered in function theory as a special case of a secondary dominant to the dominant. The double dominant is the dominant of the dominant. It must consist of the Vth degree of the root, the triad formed on the V stage.

• Tonic C major; Dominant G major; Double dominant: D

• Tonic C minor; Dominant G major; Double dominant: D

Since a dominant ( and thus also the intermediate and double dominant ) usually is a major triad, uses the double dominant a non diatonic tone: The double dominant in the key of C major, D major and requires a fis, which in the C major scale is not included. In minor the use of a double dominant is even more striking, here the second degree is usually a reduced chord, so it must already two tones are altered in order to obtain a major chord. For the above example, this means: are the stage II sounds in C minor df -as; the double dominant is formed, f need to be changed in F and as in a.

In the Baroque period, the double dominant is first sparingly, but used at conspicuous locations, from the Viennese Classical period, it is a firmly belonging to the cadence chord. Very happy to be (eg ragtime and jazz ) chords used with characteristic dissonances. As much as the seventh and for the double dominant seventh and the None is used for the dominant. A typical cadence in C major would be: