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The dominant is the fifth scale degree of a key and the chord built on that degree. It creates a strong sense of tension that naturally resolves to the tonic, making it one of the most important functions in Western harmony.
What is the dominant?
In the key of C major, G is the dominant note and G major is the dominant chord. Very often, the dominant appears as a dominant seventh chord (G7), whose characteristic tension strongly leads back to the tonic chord (C).
The dominant function plays a central role in tonal harmony because it creates expectation and forward motion. The relationship between the dominant and tonic forms the foundation of countless chord progressions in classical, jazz, blues, pop and rock music.
How is the dominant used in piano playing?
Understanding dominant harmony is essential for piano players. Dominant chords are used to create musical tension, lead into new sections and strengthen chord progressions.
As your harmonic vocabulary grows, you can enrich dominant chords with extensions and alterations such as ♭9, ♯9, ♯11 and ♭13, creating the colorful harmonic language commonly heard in jazz and contemporary music.