AP® Music Theory · Unit 7 · Topic 7.1
Which Chords Can Be Tonicized
Watch it explained
- How it worksHow does a diminished triad's unstable fifth disqualify it from acting as a temporary tonic?
- Worked exampleFind every chord in D major that can be tonicized and name the secondary dominant for each.
- Common mistakeWhy doesn't a secondary dominant of the leading-tone chord exist in common practice?
- Going furtherWhat changes about the list of tonicizable chords once you are in a minor key?
Check yourself
Your turn1 of 2
In a major key, every diatonic triad except the diminished chord on scale degree 7 can be tonicized, five non-tonic triads in all. A composer writes a secondary dominant for 3 of those five tonicizable chords. How many of the five are left without a secondary dominant written for them?End of topic.