The Application Of The Major Seventh Sharp Five Chord: In The Formation Of Dominant Chords

posted in  Hearandplay gospel training blog

If you want to learn how to form a dominant chord using the major sevent sharp five chord, then this lesson is for you.

Dominant chords are important in harmony for a variety of reasons – notably for its importance in the connection of chords in a chord progression.

Believe it or not, dominant chords are irreplaceable in harmony, and that’s wh gospel musicians invest a lot of time int learning not only how they are applied, but how they are formed as well.

This lesson is designed to show you ho to form dominant chords using the maj seventh sharp five chord.

“What Is A Dominant Chord?”

There are so many ways that the major seventh sharp five chord can be applied But today we’re focusing on it’s application in the formation of dominan chords.

But before we go ahead, “what are dominant chords?”

I want to assume that you have an idea of what a chord is. Therefore, we’ll focu on the definition of the term dominant.

The term dominant is used by music scholars to describe the fifth key component. In every key (whether majo or minor) there are basically eight components.

Check Them Out…

Tonic is the first degree

Supertonic is the second degree

Mediant is the third degree

Sub-dominant is the fourth degree

Dominant is the fifth degree

Sub-mediant is the sixth degree

Sub-tonic is the seventh degree

Octave is the eight degree

Our emphasis is on the fifth degree whi is the dominant. So, the fifth degree in any key (be it a major or minor key) is t

dominant.

In the key of C major:

…where the fifth tone is G:

…all diatonic or scale degree chords founded on the fifth degree which is G a described as dominant chords.

There are basically three classes of dominant chords:


Dominant triads

Dominant seventh chords

Extended dominant chords



Today, we’ll be learning how to form extended dominant chords using the major seventh sharp five chord. But before we do so, let’s take a look at the importance of dominant chords.
A Short Note On The Importance Of Dominant Chords

Dominant chords are important in musi for a variety of reasons which include their affinity for tonic chords. In other words, the dominant chord is the chord that has the greatest affinity for tonic chords which is the chord of the first degree.

This explains why the ending of songs (95 percent of the time) necessitates a chord movement from the fifth degree t the first degree (aka – “the 5-1 chord progression”.) So, the 5-1 progression i the most popular ending of songs in classical and popular music styles as well.

So, we’re focusing on the formation of dominant chords using the major seven sharp five chords in this lesson.
Application #1 – The Formation Of The Dom7 [#9#5] Chord
The C dom7 [#9,#5] chord can be form on any note on the keyboard by playing major seventh sharp five chord a major third (or tenth) above the given root.

Attention: The interval of a major third ( major tenth) is produced by the relationship between the first and third tones of the major scale.
For example, to form the C dom7#9#5 chord, the root is C:

…therefore, playing an E maj7#5 chord:

…over the given root which is C:

…on the bass produces the C dom7 [#9,#5] chord (aka – “altered chord”):

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