Harmony
Dominant
The dominant is the fifth degree of a key and the chord built on it (V or V7), whose tension pulls back to the tonic, like G or G7 resolving to C in C major.
What is the dominant in music?
The dominant is the fifth degree of the scale, a perfect fifth above the tonic. In C major it is G; the dominant chord is G, written V, or G7, written V7. In G major it is D or D7; in E major, B or B7.
It is the chord of tension. After a dominant your ear expects the tonic, and that expectation drives almost all tonal music, from a classical minuet to a 12-bar blues.
Why does the dominant chord pull to the tonic?
Two notes of G7 (G B D F) do all the work:
- B, the leading tone, a half step below C: it wants to rise to C.
- F, the seventh, a half step above E: it wants to fall to E.
B and F form a tritone, the most unstable interval in the scale. It closes in on C and E, the core of the C chord. That is why the dominant seventh chord is the most magnetic version of the dominant.
How to play and hear the V-I resolution
Play G7 in open position (320001), then C (x32010), slowly. Watch two fingers: the B at the 2nd fret of the 5th string rises to the 3rd fret (C), and the F at the 1st fret of the 1st string drops to the open string (E). Two half-step moves, and all the tension melts away.
Movable version: G7 as a barre at the 3rd fret (353433), then C as an A-shape barre at the 3rd fret (x35553). In A major, play E7 (020100) then A (x02220): the G# at the 1st fret of the 3rd string rises to A at the 2nd fret.
Fretboard shortcut: when the tonic root is on the 5th string, its dominant is at the same fret on the 6th string (C at fret 3, G at fret 3).
The dominant in minor keys
In A natural minor the fifth degree gives Em, which has no leading tone, so the move to Am feels weak. Players raise G to G# (harmonic minor) to get E or E7. Listen to Am Dm E7 Am: that is the sound of flamenco, tango and countless ballads.
The dominant also works away from the tonic: D7 played in C major is the dominant of G, a secondary dominant. And a cadence that stops on V (C Am F G) leaves the phrase hanging, ready to start again. To hear these roles in typical songs, browse the chord progressions by style, where V is marked in Roman numerals.
Key takeaways
- The dominant is degree V, a fifth above the tonic (G in C, E in A).
- Its tension comes from the leading tone and, in V7, from the tritone that resolves into the tonic chord.
- Minor keys usually use a major V (E7 in A minor), borrowed from harmonic minor.
- On the neck: tonic on the 5th string, dominant at the same fret on the 6th.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a dominant and a dominant seventh?
The dominant is the fifth degree and the major triad built on it (G in C). The dominant seventh adds a minor seventh (G7 = G B D F), which creates the tritone and strengthens the pull to the tonic.
How do I find the dominant of a key?
Count five notes up the scale from the tonic (C, D, E, F, G) or move one step clockwise on the circle of fifths. The dominant of D is A, of F is C, of E is B.
Can a song end on the dominant?
Yes, that is a half cadence or open ending. It sounds like a question with no answer. Songwriters often use it at the end of a verse to launch the chorus.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
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