Secondary
Leading-Tone Chords!!!
OK, we know that in the key of C, this chord
is the Leading-Tone chord (viio).
C:
viio
I
It goes to this chord (I)
So, we could say it is the “viio” of the “I,” right? That’s because it’s the Leading-Tone chord
(viio) of the “C” (I) chord.
Now, suppose we put that “Bo” chord in another key like this:
It would still want to go here
F:
???
V
only NOW, the C chord is no longer a “I,” it is a V in F Major! Yikes! That means that the “Bo”
chord is no longer a viio of I, but it’s a viio of (gulp) V!!!
That’s right! And you know what? Secondary Leading-Tone chords can happen with every major
or minor chord. For example:
We ain’t done yet! Turn the page...
How to Smell Spell Us!
1. Find the root of the chord to be tonicized. Ex.: You want a viio/V (say this, “diminished
seven of Five”) in C Major. So...what is V in C? (Ans. it’s Gee!)
2. Go down a m2 (B)
3. Us this as the root, spell a diminished triad (viio/X) or a viio 7chord (viio7/X).
So...F# A C = viio/V and F# A C Eb = viio7/V
4. NOTE: We generally use a fully-diminished seventh-chord on all tonicized chords, but
sometimes we use a half-diminished seventh-chord to tonicize MAJOR triads only.
How to Know us Intimately!
1. Look for a chord that doesn’t fit in the key (ex. F# A C in the key of C Major)
2. Is it a diminished triad or a fully- or half-diminished 7th chord? (if not, then skip it, we
haven’t studied it yet)
3. Find the note a m2 above the root of the weird chord (ex. F# A C -– F# ->
G)
4. Would a major or minor triad belong on this note in this key? If so...ding, ding, ding!!...it’s
a Secondary Leading-tone Chord! ( of G B D – a V in C!)
Now for the Really Good News!
Sorry, no good news.
Remember, it only gets harder from here on out.
Yes, you CAN do it.
isn’t this font like, totally small?