The Steel Guitar Forum

Anybody--I do not understand the dominant chord concept. Thank you for any help. Rick

The dominant/major chord relationship is one of tension/resolution. Though a thesis could be written about the dominant chord, in brief:

A dominant chord is a chord containing the flatted seventh tone of the scale. If a chord has a b7 tone in it, it's considered a dominant chord regardless of the other scale tones it possesses.

In contrast, major chords contain either the basic 3 notes of the major/minor chord, or additionally might contain the 6th or natural 7th tones of the scale. These intervals are considered more harmonious than the discordant intervals of the dominant chord.

This b7 note in the dominant chord creates a tension sound which seeks resolution to our ears. Typically, this resolution is found in major chords, and so dominant chords generally resolve to major chords. E.g. G7 to C, C7 to F, E7 to A, etc.

Parenthetically, this tension in dominant chords comes from the presence of a tri-tone, or flatted 5th, relationship between the 3rd tone of the scale and the b7th.

I'm sure that the knowledgeable Jeff Lampert can come up with a better explanation than I, but this is the concept I teach my students.

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Herb's Steel Guitar Pages
Texas Steel Guitar Association

a Dominant 7 has a minor 7 and major 3
in C: 7 is Bb + 3 is E
it's a Major chord !
it's probably the most used chord in popular Musik since way back when... (Blues, RxR)
you can use the Dominant 7(C) to make a
9th(D), 11th(F), or 13(A)by goin up to the next octave. PSG is full of these Chords, especially C6.
Steel know that Major is Happy and Minor is Sad....

Herb, thanks for the kind words, as usual. Your description sounds perfect to me. Of course, I can't resist any sort of theoretical discussion, so I'll say a couple of things. First of all, the dominant seventh chord is known most commonly as a "7th" chord. When you pick up a piece of sheet music or a country/rock musician friend says "C7", that sheet music or musician MEANS a "C dominant 7th". They just leave the word "dominant" out, and everyone knows what they mean. So you've been playing dominant 7th chords your whole life, but they were just called "7th" chords. So the next logical question is, Why do you have to call them "dominant 7th" chords, rather than just "7th" chords? The answer is that you don't, because everyone knows how to play a 7th chord, so you don't need to call them "dominant 7th". HOWEVER, if you talk to a jazz musician about chords and scales, then you often need to say "dominant 7th" and not just "7th". This is because, whereas in country and rock music, the "7th" (dominant) chord is the only 7th chord ever played (with EXTREMELY rare exceptions), in jazz, there are FIVE types of 7th chords, and each one serves a different musical purpose in a composition. There is a Major 7th, a Dominant 7th, a Minor 7th, a Minor 7th FLAT 5, and a diminished 7th. And they all are commonly used in jazz and pop compositions. So that is why, particularly in jazz, you need to sometimes say "dominant 7th", to distinguish it from all the other types of 7th chords. If there is any interest in further discussing this subject, such as the purpose for the different types of 7th chords, how they work on steel, etc., just say so. Otherwise, Sayonara!!

I'd love to hear more about the purpose for the different types of 7th chords - if you're willing Jeff...
thanks,
Paul

Just a side thought: Apart from melody (dominant vs. major) considerations, the mark of an exciting fiddler is often the 'tension and release' he generates rhythmically with his bowing arm.

It is helpful to learn music theory at its most basic level. I recommend that al musicians get a cheap keyboard, and a keyboard-music theory book. No tremendous skill or technique is required. Keyboard is very linear and theory is very accessable on one. Most other instruments have non-linear patterns. The Dominant is the fifth tone in the major scale, and produces the 7 chord mentioned when a four note chord is constructed. The scale that is used over this chord is the mixolydian. It is a basic tonality for blues, jazz, and other folk music forms. There is nothing very complicated about beginning theory, but as you add altered chords, chord extensions, and ethnic and ecotic variants it can get daunting. I highly recommend the keyboard approach, getting a teacher for 12 lessons. This will demysify theory, and make sense of its applications.

I want to thank all of you for the help. Buck, I thank you have the right ideal, even yesterday I looked for a music teacher to start a few lessons. You know, I think alot of my music friends need music lessons,they, talk a good game and you how that goes sometimes. Thanks again

Paul M.,
Other than yourself, there doesn't seem to be to much further interest in additional discussion. Plus, I'm busy right now. Maybe sometime in the future there'll be more interest and I'll have some time. Thanks. .. Jeff

Jeff:
I ceratinly would appreciate more info re Dominant chords - when you get the time. Thanks.
Gord

I've always assumed that the term "dominant" had to do originally with the function that a chord served in a progression. At least in progressions that are based pretty much on major scale harmony, the dominant chord (that based on the 5th degree of the scale), seems to usually represent an emotional peak. This seems to be the case even if the b7th isn't added, although the b7th does add increased tension, which makes for a more dramatic resolution (as described above).

There is a system of naming the chords which are built on each note of the major scale, according to their usual function: For example, a three-chord progression in C would include: C (tonic) F (sub-dominant) and G (dominant).

My understanding is that this way of designating functions for chords in a major key can be applied to simple three note chords, as well as extended chords like 7ths. I think it is from this way of looking at things, and the role that 7th chords play in it, that we get the naming of the "dominant chord family," which when viewed as isolated chords are always 7ths and their extensions/alterations.