The Most Important Music Theory Idea You'll Ever Learn.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 24 ก.ค. 2024
- You might think I'm overselling this, but this is probably the most important harmonic idea in music theory: That of secondary dominants, or tonicization. This refers to inserting a dominant chord a perfect fourth below any major or minor chord. This is said to "tonicize" the target (major or minor) chord. The added dominant is also called a secondary dominant. It's all around you in thousands of songs, and it always works and sounds great. Learn it and you will never look at music the same way again.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Demonstration
0:46 Explanation
2:25 Simple example
6:20 Advanced example - เพลง
This is probably the most helpful video I have watched on music theory.
See? I told you. You just got yourself pinned ;)
@@MangoldProject
@ralph newman I said important. I didn't say complicated.
@ralph newman yes, it is quite simple- if you've already learned the fundamentals!
@ralph newman It's both important and basic. I don't see the contradiction.
The first lesson I learned in University was Newton's three laws of motion - they're both basic and important.
The easiest to understand explanation by example of dominant and secondary dominant. So simple but I never understood it before now.
Well that's what I'm here for!
I consider myself an advanced musician (several decades of semi-professional experience), and I know these concepts, but you explain it so clearly, without overcomplicating it with extra faff. You take the magic out of being a jazz pianist, and I mean that as a giant compliment (even if it sounds rude lol).
Hehe I was thinking the same thing. He’s one step shy of 2-5-1. Great video.
As a guitarist, it's great to see these chord movements and then trying to play the most important notes available on the fretboard. Thanks for the upload.
You're welcome!
I'm doing exactly the same thing on guitar. I feel these piano videos have improved my guitar skills. Thanks for expanding my music theory knowledge.
@@picklejam6486 Awesome. Comments from guitar players who stumbled into my videos are the best :)
Omitting perfect fifths is always a handy shortcut for guitar voicings
It's the least "interesting" interval, so you lose less by leaving it out
These are the progressions I've always wanted to learn, the type of sound that gives you goosebumps with how smooth it is. Thanks for the lesson!
I'm learning Jazz coming from Classic piano. Heard so many videos talking about secondary dominants without explaining it very clearly. This is pure gold! Thanks a lot
hi sir, i have jazz knowledge but want to learn classical piano technique! lol
Tonicization is all over the place in classical music
Awesome. This is the first time someone explained secondary dominants in a way that made sense to me.
Yep, it's very simple actually. The best ideas are. The more esoteric music theory becomes, the less "useful" it becomes as well.
That is one damn good feeling, right? Finally getting this thing you've been standing in front of, so many times.
@@MangoldProject Exactly! 💯
This was a fantastic video! You did a great job of explaining this basic, yet often misunderstood (or simply not understood), concept in a way that made the theory side of it entirely approachable for almost anyone who has even the most basic familiarity with beginning music theory.
The two-tiers of examples provided "something for everyone," and your pacing was entirely on point.
You're doing seriously important work here, making music theory more accessible and understandable to all musicians, by demystifying it and clearly demonstrating the concepts as you present them.
Thanks for all that you do, and for continuing to do it after all these years! 🙏🏻💚🎹🎶
Those chords surely seem richer, so many notes I couldn't believe it for a second! I actually saw a similar lesson but now it didn't show how it could be applied to such big chords. I'm amazed.
Yep, the best ideas are also the simplest ones. Happy to know you learned something.
Gomtree desh
These progressions, especially on the electric piano took me back to the mid-eighties where they seemed to be used on many ballads back then. At least that is how they made me feel. Great video.
Great example
Are friends electric? Gary Newman!
Eightyisation. . .hmm, not a great-looking word but I agree with your sentiments!
Go Whitney Houston.
Ahh, the DX-7, it defined an entire generation of misoc.
Best explanation of secondary dominants I've seen: simple, to the point, nicely video-ed and with examples.
The chord progressions that you played were both pleasing and familiar to my ears with he added benefit of leading to all kinds of directions I could imagine taking which is quite inspiring. I do not believe that you are overselling this bit at all. I like it!
Very interesting - you can tonicize the dominant seventh chords too, and you end up with a typical ragtime progression C - E7 - A7 - D7 - G like in West Coast Blues. I didn't really understand the progression before, I just knew it sounded good.
Secondary Dominants are where I feel like my deep dive into music theory actually started.
This and voicing/voice leading are probably the most fundamental concepts that I learned in music theory.
They helped clear up the relationship between the tonic and dominant, and how voices interact with each other. Many later concepts build off of it and takes it even further. (Altered chords, tritone subs, borrowed chords, min7b5, backdoor progressions, ii V I etc.)
What a quality video, excellent speed, precision in the content, just the right information, brilliantly sounding - massive thumbs up. Thanks.
All these years, amazing content. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and talent! It has given me such a great understanding over the years that I have been able to apply in my own music making. you're a LEGEND!
Thank you! I'm surprised myself that I still keep posting after so many years. I've been here since 2007 - that's 15 by now. I might be one of the oldest active TH-camrs :)
Excellent lesson! I remember learning this in a university music theory class in 1980, and it changed everything for me.
Wow that was so eye opening i never knew this ...I doodle on the piano a little with chords this will spice up some of my old chord progression ty
Great! It's fun to try and spot them in your favorite songs.
The dominant chord is usually thought about as a fifth above (7 half steps), you should probably mention that as well so people that are new to music theory don’t get confused.
I had the same reaction. The idea to me is that we insert a V-I progression, a perfect cadence, to get to our target chord (I chord). Dominant to Tonic. And in 7th form, that’s V7-I (or Imaj7); the dominant 7th of the target TO the target.
Of course, a chord that is a 4th below is the same as the one that is a 5th above.
And with a minor chord (like the Am in the example) you’d use a minor scale, eg the natural minor scale, and use the v-i progression. In the Am case, that’s Em to Am. But if we use the harmonic minor scale instead of the natural minor, the fifth of the i chord is a major, and in the Am case, it is E (major) and in that scale, it’s 7th form is E7, the dominant 7th.
We get to the same place, but in my mind, it’s easy to think of using a perfect cadence each time - 5 to 1 - and that 5 is the “secondary dominant” chord, not THE dominant chord of the key of the piece, but the dominant chord of the target chord; a temporary thing outside the key.
Music theory says that a secondary dominant is a V7/ the target chord. Therefore, really, it's a perfect 5th above the target, not a perfect 4th below, though they get to the same place. It's just a little weird thinking of a V7 chord being a 4th below, rather than a 5th (as in V) above. Nice video, though.
@@ernestebell1735 on a guitar, one usually says it is tuned in 4ths - E-A, A-D, D-G, B-E (and the odd major third from G-B). And one also says that if you go the other way, from highest string (1) to lowest (6), it’s in 5ths: E-B, G-D, D-A, A-E (forgetting the B-G). But your really not going “down” a 5th: you’re only going down 5 half steps or a 4th…to the 5th.
Up 7 half steps, or down 5 half steps gets you to the same note, just an octave apart, or same chord name, root note being an octave apart.
In perfect terms, using harmonics:
f * 3/2 { up a perfect fifth) =
( f / (4/3) {down a perfect fourth} ) * 2 {to bring it up an octave}
= f * (3/4) * 2 = f * 3/2
@@HuardSmith Interesting take on it. In pure music theory terms, however, in the key of C, a G is still considered the 5th (or dominant) in the scale, and similarly, a G7 is a V7 chord. Sure, you can say it's going down a perfect 4th, but that's really going the wrong way round, whether it's a keyboard, a violin, a clarinet, or a guitar. Also, this video was made using a keyboard, rather than a guitar, so I'm not quite sure why we're justifying the use of 4ths as you would, apparently, on a guitar. It's a small point, though. The concept of the video is still sound. I just question using perfect 4ths to describe getting to a V7 chord.
Yea this sounds more convoluted to people who are new to the concept. I’m a guitarist so the easiest way it was taught to me was to play what would be the 5th note of whatever the next chord is and that’s your secondary dominant. I get it’s the identical concept but finding the 5th always feels a little easier for me especially on guitar
Thank you for years of support. Music theory is really not a scary thing. It even reveals itself as you go
Simple example section makes me think this is happening in Georgia on My Mind.
🇮🇪. 2.5 years guitar and keys practice, learning from TH-cam teachers like Mangold
It becomes more and more complex as you go along, but as it becomes more complex it also becomes less and less useful.
The most important bits of music theory are definitely not scary.
Yes, Georgia On My Mind, in the Key of G, has a B7 which is the secondary dominant to the E minor that follows it. What you are hearing is that secondary dominant transitioning the tune to its relative minor. But then the E minor is followed by a walkdown to D minor to C, then to a C# diminished. I am not quite sure what the function of the D minor is; maybe it is nothing more than a passing chord which features an F natural in it which helps establish the bluesiness of the tune and helping resolve to the E note in the C chord. But I digress....
As an avid synthesizer player, I am truly grateful for this information and I have subscribed! Thanks!
This advice may be the most influential set of instructions to help me with my keyboard training yet!
I am an old dog and new tricks don't come easy for me. The double keyboard showing the actual keys being struck is very helpful!
Also, I never knew that you could play 2 or 3 adjacent white keys simultaneously and it would sound so majestic! Cheers!
You just blew my mind. I have been using this all day long!
Great!
But he said "Don't use it all the time!" ˘J˘
@@lowandodor1150 If you don't use secondary dominants are you even playing music?
@@99timewaster hehe, i've got nothing.
Great lesson! Anxiously awaiting your lesson on adding these rich tensions to the dominant 7th chords. ❤
One of the best music theory lessons ive ever seen, consise and easy to understand. Ive spent a lot of my life trying to understand music theory and this is one of the only lessons that has ever clicked
Another guitar player checking in here. Your video on intervals was the first one that actually made me understand it completely. This one was equally helpful. Thank you very much!
Excellent job. I shared this to a group called jazz guitar chat on Facebook because there's a lot of beginners in that group and any beginning student of jazz should know this basic theoretical concept that this individual has explained perfectly clearly and easy to grasp. No wonder so many people have left comments and hit the like button because I never seen such a clear and precise explanation of tonicization
Thank you for an excellent explanation of secondary dominants, and also, what they're good for. Nicely done.
Fascinating, thank you. Also a guitar player, and uneducated when it comes to music theory. I have been looking to spice things up when it comes to chord progressions, and this tip is just perfect. Very well made video and explanations. Cannot wait to try it.
I thought this would be far beyond my skill level, but you did a great job breaking it down and explaining it simply. I followed the first half at least and can't wait to experiment with the theory! Thanks!
Awesome stuff. I remember my guitar teacher used to get me to figure out progressions like this with the fancier chords.
You are such an EXCELLENT teacher! Clear, concise, and easy to follow. Thanks, from a loyal subscriber!
What an extraordinary concept! This is like a hidden gem being uncovered from right under our noses. Thank you for this eye-opening tutorial.
Mind. Blown.
Merci for this. You have a great way to present music theory. Trying to put it into practice little by little.
Glad it was helpful!
Amazing lesson - as always - thank you making us all better! Cheers from NYC
My old home away from home! Send 1st Ave & 34th my regards.
NYC here as well!
Definitely my favorite music theory/improving on the keyboard channel. Straightforward but with great sounding examples.
Glad to hear it!
Good pacing. Some instructional videos can be a bit rushed and following along is a pause game, but this is refreshing. Thanks!
I enjoyed this. I'm a guitar player and have actually used this without really knowing how or why it worked. Nice to see it explained.
Excellent video. I would love to learn other ideas for substitutions or additions you might have. You have great delivery.
This video is awesome! Thank you! And ALL of them sounded great to me! This technique gives soooo much _color_ to music!
the first ever channel i subsribed in my life. the best of all. no words! just wonderful (i am not going to details being a guitarist it is just amazing to me so i am keeping it short)
I just found that I noticed this "Goosebump"-Progression decades ago as a child, when I heard the song "We wish you a merry christmas" for the first time. It includes the progression E7 to A minor. I heard it over and over again on my cassette recorder, but later that night I could not get that chord shift out of my brain and was not able to sleep.
Now, almost 40 years later, I often use it when improvising on the piano. But I did not know until now there is a theory behind. Many thanks for this video!!! But as I know it already I would be interested if there are "other" theories. For example I would like to understand the theory behind the incredible chord shifts used in "Memory" from Andrew Llyod Webber and how they are used in combination with the melody.
Another quality lesson. Always so much to learn in your lessons, thank you!
Thanks!
I really like your ideas! It can be used in simple form or with more tension or as you say, don’t overuse it!
Very good, and the examples of the chords with added tension is really a helpful idea.
Wonderful video.
Paced explanation! I can't thank you enough!
Thank you so much! It helped me a lot. Now I understand why some progressions seemed to include chords outside the tonality, but sounded good to the ear. Thank you again
Glad it helped!
I definitely learned something interesting today! Thankyou for this great and comprehensible video!
It's so great seeing this video. So calm and easy to learn for slow learners like me. Thanks
Thank you for explaining this thoroughly!
What an ingenious way of explaining secondary dominants 🙏🙏🙏🤘🤘🤘👍👍👍
I already knew this concept from classical harmony (though with a slightly different language, but the same idea), but it was still interesting to see a rather different realization of that concept.
very great resource. Ill have to teach some extensions before showing this, but a great first step for spicing up a progression. especially when you want some variation
Needed this. Was stuck in a terrible chord progression rut. Thank you so much! New subscriber.
I've often done this through my ears (well, the simple part at least lol) and it's nice to finally know the theory behind it. Thanks
A great explanation on secondary dominants that is clear and easy to understand. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video with a simple effective explanation. Thank you.
Wow! Mind totally blown, great tactic, such an improvement!
I like the simple example better. But I don't like really weird sounding chords tbh. Super dope concept either way. Much appreciated :)
4 years of music college suddenly just clicked for me and all made sense just 6 minutes into this video. Thank you.
i just understood secondary dominants. something i thought was beyond me. thank you so much!!
that is really cool and useful, and it's sound incredible with a Rhodes sound !
That advanced progression was so beautiful I almost cried!
I sorta got the concept in theory class but this actually was a very easy way to think about it. Thanks for that
This was known information to me, but those voicing in the advanced example are so tasty I can now feel my thighs rubbing together and I've got heartburn. Excellent video!
Thank you for the music and the lesson, sir. It all is beautiful.
Thanks for dropping by!
@@MangoldProject you're welcome.
Thanks freaking GOD for this, i'm not a musician but sometimes i play a guitar. I didn't know what is the term. I love when a musician insert bridge chord (i called this because i didn't know the term yet) or what you called "tonicization", because it makes the song more beautiful.
These three chords playing my head i feel happier than ever songs feeling....so good
i thought it was so hard, but its actually quite simple. what a great class
This was very clear and helpful. Thankyou
You're very welcome!
Very nice way of layering these concepts in a way that is very approachable by the novice (ie me!)
Very nice. Inspiring! Thank you!
Ah, so they are called ‘secondary dominants’. I just find myself discovering those intermediate chords when I play at home, and especially those added notes, like the 9ths and flatted 9ths, that I find useful when I am playing keyboard with the jazz band. I love the tutorial. Well presented.
Fantastic, and such an easy approach to remember
5:26 this progression feels like something that can used as an anime ost. It's just so pleasing to the ear .
Agree, it is certainly used by many such osts and songs
Thank you! So easylie explanied.
Nice simple lesson. Seems like a good exercise to do in every key.
Definitely!
Thank you for this wonderful class!
love the simple progression, I play it with and added Cmaj between the Fmaj and D7dom. learned it from Paul Davids' TH-cam channel
Such an awesome trick and amazing lesson, thanks!
I want to give this video more than a like. This is amazing, sublime, absolutely beautiful! Thank you so much, im kind of in a euphoria right now thanks to you 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Very interesting think. Thank you !!
Awesome theory trick! I'm also going to apply this to my guitar playing!
Just wow. Thank you so much for this ❤️
Amazing lesson. Thanks.
Greetings from Brazil.
Kansas - Dust in the Wind is a great example using [C > _G_ > A minor] as a bridge.
That's not what I'd call a secondary dominant. In G > C, the G would be a secondary dominant, but in C > G, the C is not a secondary dominant.
Thank you for that, it's brilliant and I will be using it 😊 🎹 🙏🏼👍🏼🎵🎶
Super helpful! A great little bit of pepper for chord seasoning. Thanks for this video! Just a suggestion. The synthesizer Rhodes sound makes anything sound more boring/cheesy to many people… a classic more real Rhodes sound will bring the chords across in a more pure way with less aesthetic judgment. Just an opinion, but i think a lot of people feel this way. Thanks again for the great music theory! Very helpful! Subscribed.
Thanks, I will think about it. I happen to love this cheesy 80s sound, but point taken.
Thank You Such Clarification.. I've definitely learned ..
Excellent lesson! I heard the Beatles right away. I wish you would have played the whole advanced progression.
Very clear and helpful. Thank you so much:
Well obviously a 4th below IS a 5th above so if you want to take it a step further, all of these new intermediate chords simply represent inserting a ii-V-i progression into the chord you are landing on - which is the single most common thing jazz players do all the time, but in this case you are leaving out the ii. So fiddle around with adding back in the 2 chords. So instead of C E7 Am make it C - Bm7-E7-Am etc etc. The key to understanding 251 is not thinking about the chord you are ON but the chord you are GOING TO
Yep. And, as I've said to previous posters before you, you just wrote "Yesterday".
@@MangoldProject lol nice. I did not realize that
Great video! Would be nice to understand how do you choose those voicings. I know the theory but don’t know how to apply it that way!
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Man of Gold! אין כמוך!
תודה.
Very well explained , thanks .
Your first example shows me how Clapton wrote "Bell Bottom Blues". Nice lesson!
Perfectly explained thank you so much
damn i always wondered how they come up with these kind of chord progressions. thank you so much !
Amazing content!
Thanks, very useful! explanation!
Great lesson!
Thank you so much. Incredibly helpful.