Learning and Loving Music Theory

We introduced chromatic harmony in this music theory lesson. Simply stated, a chromatic chord is any chord that occurs outside of a given key.

As we’ve discussed in several other music theory lessons, the dominant-tonic (V-I) harmonic progression is one of the strongest progressions in all of music. Tonal music seems to have a strong tendency to move down by fifth. Because of this tendency, composers have used chromatic chords called secondary dominants, which are dominant chords borrowed from other keys. The concept is easier to demonstrate than to explain:

Here is a V7-I harmonic progression in G major. (The actual chords are D7 – G:)

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Here is a basic I-IV-V-I harmonic progression in C major:

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Now, we’ll insert the V7 chord (D7) from G major before the V chord (G) in the basic progression in C major:

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We took a chord that belongs in G major and put it in a progression in C major. Since that D7 chord is the dominant seventh (V7) of G we call it a V7/V (“five-seven of five”), or a secondary dominant. We have to add the F-sharp accidental because we did not change key signatures, we simply inserted a chromatic chord.

Do you see why it’s called a secondary dominant? The D7 chord functions as a dominant seventh of G, but the key is still C major (where G is the primary dominant). It’s as if, for an instant, the key changes to G major, but we don’t call it a key change because it moves by so quickly, and the progression still ends in C major. We use the term tonicize to describe the function of secondary dominants. For example, in the progression above, the G major chord (which happens to be V in C major) is tonicized by it’s dominant seventh chord (D7).

A secondary dominant may be a triad or a seventh chord. But remember, as we studied in diatonic harmony, the dominant triad is a major chord; the dominant seventh chord is a major-minor seventh chord. Therefore, we must add any necessary accidentals to make the secondary dominant either a major chord or a major-minor seventh chord. In the example above we added a sharp to the F to make the chord a major-minor seventh.

Let’s look at another example:

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In the example above, we tonicized the IV chord. In other words, we inserted the dominant seventh of F before the IV chord, thus creating a V7/IV (“five-seven of four”).

Remember, the secondary dominant has to be the dominant chord from the key of the chord that is being tonicized. Above, we wanted to tonicize the F chord. So we ask, what is the dominant of F? Thinking in the key of F for a moment, go to the dominant scale degree (C) and spell either a major or a major-minor seventh chord. Since the key of F has a B-flat, the secondary dominant must have a B-flat in order to be a major-minor seventh chord.

Secondary dominants work just like primary dominants: they may be triads or seventh chords, and they may be in any inversion.

What Chords May Be Tonicized?

Any major or minor chord may be tonicized. Here are examples of all the chords that can be tonicized in C major and A minor:

Notice that there is no secondary dominant for the leading tone chord in a major key (V/vii) and no secondary dominant for the supertonic chord in a minor key (V/ii). Why is this? It’s because these chords are diminished triads (vii° and ii°). You cannot tonicize diminished chords, because there are no diminished keys. For instance, a key such as C-diminished does not exist.

In the next lesson, we’ll look at secondary dominants in actual music and show you some typical chord progressions using secondary dominants.

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Up to this point, we have been discussing only harmony that occurs within a given key—diatonic harmony. (See this music theory lesson for a review of diatonic harmony.)

What is Chromatic Harmony?

Whenever pitches occur that do not belong to a given key, these pitches are said to be chromatic. Chromatic notes in written music are usually easy to identify because they require accidentals.

Most of the time, chromatic pitches change the harmony of a given musical passage.These altered chords as they’re sometimes called are the basis of chromatic harmony.

It is very difficult to find a piece of music that doesn’t have at least some chromatic harmony, as most music would be rather monotonous without it. Chromatic harmony adds color, drama and excitement to the music.

Chromatic Harmony in Music Theory

Unfortunately, chromatic harmony makes the task of learning music theory a bit more complicated. But don’t be intimidated; most chromatic harmony is logical, and with a little patience, is fairly easy to understand.

In tonal music, most chromatic harmony falls into one of the following categories:

• Secondary Dominants
• Borrowed Chords (Mode Mixture)
• The Neapolitan Sixth Chord
• Augmented Sixth Chords
• Altered Dominants
• Linear Harmony

We’ll take each of these concepts one by one, and show you how to write and recognize the various types of chromatic harmony in four-voices.

Chromatic Harmony and Changing Keys (Modulation)

When a single chromatic chord occurs in a passage of music, we hear it as being foreign to the key that we hear as tonic. For example, if the music is in the key of C major (no sharps or flats), and a chord passes by with an F-sharp in it, we recognize that chord as not belonging to the key of C.

But what if the music is going along in C major, then several chords occur with an F-sharp, and only a few or no chords with F-naturals? When this happens, we may hear a change in the tonal center, or the key of the music. If a passage of music is in C major, and most of the Fs are made sharp, we more than likely will hear a key change from C major to G major (or possibly E minor), which has an F-sharp in the key signature. When music changes keys in the middle of a passage of music, it is called a modulation.

As with chromatic harmony, composers and arrangers use key changes to help create interest, tension, and drama in the music. There are numerous ways that music modulates, many of them using one or more of the categories of chromatic chords we will be learning. So, as we walk through the various types of chromatic harmony, we also will be learning how they may be used to change keys.

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