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09-28-2009, 04:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David1234  I think of dominant as one of six chord qualities: Major, minor, dominant, augmented, diminished, half diminished. The chord quality is primarily about sound.
It also happens that in certain styles functions are associated with chord qualities, and certain musical cliches such as the ii-V-I progression result in certain styles and not others.
When some rock songs are based entirely on major chords, the chord quality (sound) is being used without any association with a chord function. Similarly when some blues tunes use dominant chords throughout. Some music doesn't bother to stick to a clear tonality at all (but I don't often like to listen to it!). We still have the word dominant to describe the chord quality if at a certain moment that's what we're hearing, without any imperative to associate it with a function.
So my 2 cents is .... dominant is all about the sound.
PS (Edit) A dominant chord is, therefore, not a major chord. | G major triad in the key of C - Dominant chord or not?
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Lefty Union #153
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09-28-2009, 04:38 PM
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Originally Posted by EADG mx G major triad in the key of C - Dominant chord or not? | Dominant function according to tonal music theory, yes. Dominant, not dominant 7th.
A dominant 7th chord is always a major triad with a minor seventh (a Major-minor 7th chord).
A Major-minor 7th chord is not always dominant in function, though.
We need a new term less cumbersome than Major-minor seventh but without the functional-harmony baggage of "dominant" for those I7 chords in blues.
By the way, there are other chords with the same sound - like the German sixth chord (it would be spelled C-E-G-A# and lead to a B chord... and therefore not -exactly- dominant. That it sounds like a "dominant 7th" chord is often used by composers. The example above would probably occur in the key of E - so the CEGA# chord would "sound" like it was leading to F, the bII chord, but instead resolve to B, the V chord.)
Eric |
09-29-2009, 12:02 PM
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Originally Posted by ayryq Dominant function according to tonal music theory, yes. Dominant, not dominant 7th. | Quote:
Originally Posted by ayryq A dominant 7th chord is always a major triad with a minor seventh (a Major-minor 7th chord).
A Major-minor 7th chord is not always dominant in function, though. | Exactly. Quote:
Originally Posted by ayryq We need a new term less cumbersome than Major-minor seventh but without the functional-harmony baggage of "dominant" for those I7 chords in blues. | How about just "7th"?
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Lefty Union #153
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09-29-2009, 12:10 PM
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Originally Posted by EADG mx How about just "7th"? | As per the original post, four pages ago. I like it.
Eric |
09-29-2009, 12:25 PM
|  | May The FORCE Be With YOU | | Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Middle Tennessee | | | Dominant 7th is root, major 3rd, Perfect 5th, and flat seventh.
In the key of C the dominant 7th is G-B-D-F It's built from the 5th degree of the major key you are in.
Its just a major scale with a flat 7th. (known as Mixolydian)
MODES in the key of C major
(I)Ionian = C D E F G A B C
(ii)Dorian= D E F G A B C D
(iii)Phrygian= E F G A B C D E
(IV)Lydian = F G A B C D E F
(V7)Mixolydain= G A B C D E F G
(vi)Aeolian= A B C D E F G A
(vii)Locrian= B C D E F G A B
(VIII/I)Ionian= C D E F G A B C
capital Roman numerals are major and the lower case are minors, the locrian is half diminished
I hope this helps any of you out there that were wondering.
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Last edited by Eric Swaim : 09-29-2009 at 12:28 PM.
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09-30-2009, 07:45 AM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Brisbane, QLD, Australia | | Quote:
Originally Posted by EADG mx How about just "7th"? | Well that's the term I've heard every musician I've played with (been hundreds) use, and that's the one that everyone seems to know what is implied by it.
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09-30-2009, 08:00 AM
|  | Unprofessional TalkBass Contributor | | Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Brighton, England, UK, Europe | | | It's always a 7th chord - the question is about its function in the harmony!
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09-30-2009, 08:57 AM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New York City | | Quote:
Originally Posted by bassybill Dominant 7th has always had a much more specific meaning |
Heh-heh... welcome to my world.
Yes, you are absolutely correct: There is a functional attribute implicit in the word "dominant".
But to take that semantic issue a step further, there is also a functional attribute implicit in naming an (0,4,7,10) tetrachord a "7th"
Words have meaning. Sometimes that meaning gets ignored, or diluted. Whatcha gonna do? |
09-30-2009, 10:05 AM
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Originally Posted by Hoover But to take that semantic issue a step further, there is also a functional attribute implicit in naming an (0,4,7,10) tetrachord a "7th" | Ha. I'd love to be reading a chord sheet someday and come upon Code: C 047t........A 037....... or just Code: 047t...........904......... Perfectly clear! Actually, the former example is a lot like figured bass! | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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