music theory Music theory is the study of theoretical frameworks for understanding the practices and possibilities of music. ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' describes three interrelated uses of the term "music theory": The first is the "Elements of music, ...

, a predominant chord (also pre-dominant) is any chord which normally resolves to a dominant chord.Benward & Saker (2009). ''Music in Theory and Practice: Volume II'', Glossary, p.359. Eighth Edition. . "Any chord in functional harmony that normally resolves to the dominant chord." Examples of predominant chords are the

subdominant In music, the subdominant is the fourth tonal degree () of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the same distance ''below'' the tonic as the dominant is ''above'' the tonicin other words, the tonic is the dominant of the subdomina ...

(IV, iv),

supertonic In music, the supertonic is the second degree () of a diatonic scale, one whole step above the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the supertonic note is sung as ''re''. The triad built on the supertonic note is called the supertonic ...

(ii, ii°), Neapolitan sixth and

German sixth In music theory, an augmented sixth chord contains the interval of an augmented sixth, usually above its bass note, bass tone. This chord (music), chord has its origins in the Renaissance music, Renaissance, was further developed in the Baroque ...

. Other examples are the

secondary dominant A secondary chord is an analytical label for a specific harmonic device that is prevalent in the tonal idiom of Western music beginning in the common practice period: the use of diatonic functions for tonicization. Secondary chords are a ...

(V/V) and secondary leading tone chord. Predominant chords may lead to secondary dominants. Predominant chords both expand away from the tonic ''and'' lead to the dominant, affirming the dominant's pull to the tonic.Cleland, Kent D. and Dobrea-Grindahl, Mary (2013). ''Developing Musicianship Through Aural Skills: A Holistic Approach to Sight Singing and Ear Training'', p.255. Routledge. . Thus they lack the stability of the tonic and the drive towards resolution of the dominant. The predominant

harmonic function In mathematics, mathematical physics and the theory of stochastic processes, a harmonic function is a twice continuously differentiable function f\colon U \to \mathbb R, where is an open subset of that satisfies Laplace's equation, that i ...

is part of the fundamental harmonic progression of many classical works. The submediant (vi) may be considered a predominant chord or a tonic substitute.Caplin, William E. (2013). ''Analyzing Classical Form: An Approach for the Classroom'', p.10. Oxford. . The dominant preparation is a chord or series of chords that precedes the

dominant chord In music, the dominant is the fifth scale degree () of the diatonic scale. It is called the ''dominant'' because it is second in importance to the first scale degree, the tonic. In the movable do solfège system, the dominant note is sung as "So ...

in a musical composition. Usually, the dominant preparation is derived from a

circle of fifths In music theory, the circle of fifths (sometimes also cycle of fifths) is a way of organizing pitches as a sequence of perfect fifths. Starting on a C, and using the standard system of tuning for Western music (12-tone equal temperament), the se ...

progression. The most common dominant preparation chords are the

, the

, the V7/V, the

Neapolitan chord In Classical music theory, a Neapolitan chord (or simply a "Neapolitan") is a major chord built on the lowered ( flat) second (supertonic) scale degree. In Schenkerian analysis, it is known as a Phrygian II, since in minor scales the chord is buil ...

(N⁶ or II⁶), and the

augmented sixth chord In music theory, an augmented sixth chord contains the interval (music), interval of an augmented sixth, usually above its bass note, bass tone. This chord (music), chord has its origins in the Renaissance music, Renaissance, was further develop ...

s (e.g., Fr⁺⁶). In

sonata form The sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical form, musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of t ...

, the dominant preparation is in the

development Development or developing may refer to: Arts *Development (music), the process by which thematic material is reshaped * Photographic development *Filmmaking, development phase, including finance and budgeting * Development hell, when a proje ...

, immediately preceding the recapitulation.

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

sonata-form The sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a musical structure generally consisting of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of the 18th centu ...

works generally have extensive dominant preparation — for example, in the first movement of the '' Sonata Pathétique'', the dominant preparation lasts for 29 measures (mm. 169–197).

List

*First inversion augmented mediant **III⁺ *Augmented dominant **V⁺ * Augmented sixths **Fr **Ger *Second inversion tonic **I **i *Subdominant **IV **iv *Submediant **vi, stepwise to dominant *Supertonic and secondary dominant **ii **II (V/V) Caplin, William E. (1998). ''Classical Form: A Theory of Formal Functions for the Instrumental Music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven'', p.23. Oxford. . **ii **vii⁷/V **II

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Chord progressions Chords Diatonic functions {{music-theory-stub

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