Download Secondary Functions 1 - Appoquinimink High School

Chapter 16

Refers to the use of pitches foreign to the key
of the passage.

Altered Chords: the use of tones from outside
the scale as members of chords.

Most Common altered chord is the:
“Secondary Function”
 Secondary Dominant- V
 Secondary Leading Tone- viio

3 Simple Steps:
 Find the root of the chord that is to be “tonicized”
 Go up a P5
 Using that note as the root, spell a major triad (for
V of) or a major-minor seventh chord (for V7 of)



#1. Is the altered chord a major triad or
major-minor seventh chord? If not, than it is
not a secondary dominant
#2. Find the note a P5 below the root of the
altered chord
#3. Would a major or minor triad built on that
note be a diatonic triad in this key? If so, the
altered chord is a secondary dominant.
 7th of the V7 Resolves down by step

Leading tone (or 3rd of the secondary
dominant chord) resolves up by step.

Keep the Common Tone

Remaining voice moves by step contrary to
the bass

Find the Root of the chord to be “tonicized”

Go Down a minor 2nd

Using that note as the root, spell a diminished
triad (for viio of), a diminished 7th chord (viio7
of), or a half-diminished seventh chord (for vii
O/7 of)

Is the chord a diminished triad, a diminished
seventh, or a half-diminished seventh chord? If
not, it is not a secondary leading-tone chord.

Find the note a m2 above the root of the altered
chord

Would a major or minor triad built on that note
be a diatonic triad in this key? If so, the altered
chord is probably a secondary leading-tone
chord.

Do not double the root of the vii chord

Make sure the vii chord is not in root position

Leading Tone (root of the 7th chord) resolves up
by step

7th of the viio7 chord resolves down

Remaining two voices should use smooth voice
leading when possible

Should the resulting chord be a fully diminished
seven chord or a half-diminished vii chord
chord?

Follow these principles:
 If the triad you are resolving to is minor, use vii fully
diminished 7
 If the triad you are resolving to is major, use either vii
half-diminished 7 or vii fully diminished 7, although
the fully diminished version appears to be used more
often in music.