← All lessonsModule 4 · Colour
Secondary Dominants
One note from outside the key, and a plain progression suddenly sounds rich.
In this lesson you'll
- Find the five of any chord.
- Hear why it pulls.
- Add two of them to a loop.
Music in this lesson
- YesterdayThe Beatles · 1965
- Sweet Georgia Brown1925
Remember
A secondary dominant is the five of a chord other than home. Find it a fifth above the target.
Its third is a temporary leading tone, a half step below the target. For a moment, the target feels like home.
Slip it in just before the target, or chain them, and each chord falls into the next.