The dominant chord is one of the most important sounds in music, an integral piece of the puzzle that is functional harmony. And it’s an essential sound that you need to master as a musician…
In traditional musical terms, the dominant chord is part of the broader harmonic movement in any key, consisting of the tonic, the subdominant, and the dominant.
These are sounds in a key that represent the home base, a step away, and the motion returning home (I-IV-V7- I). A mini musical story that’s at the heart of many of the tunes we play.
The dominant chord is the element in this sequence that creates a sense of tension and resolution in the progression. And this is especially true when it comes to the tunes you find in the jazz standard repertoire…
Why are dominant chords so important to master as an improviser??
If you took a bunch of jazz standards and zoomed out from the details to look at the larger form, you’d see two types of chords – static chords and dynamic chords.
In any tune you play, these “dynamic chords” or sounds that serve as transitions, are nearly always dominant chords resolving to a goal chord. For instance, take the chord progression to a standard like There Will Never Be Another You…
Without worrying about the specifics and focusing on the broader form, you’ll see how common dominant chords are in standard progressions, the driving force directing the harmony forward.
To effectively navigate song forms and create musical phrases, at the most basic level you need to have language, tools, and techniques for these dominant sounds.
Think about it like this, in nearly every jazz standard that you’ll play you are going to find dominant chords. And if your goal is to navigate these tunes musically, you need to know what they are, how they work, and exactly what to play over them.
Today we’ll look at how to bring your knowledge of and skill on dominant chords up to speed. Inside we’ll cover how to approach this chord using melodic tools, alterations & substitution, and harmonic variations.
Let’s get started…
I. Dominant 7 melodic tools
The first step is developing musical ideas and learning specific tactics to play on dominant chords…
Beyond a simple definition, memorizing a scale, or learning the chord tones, the goal is to be able to effortlessly create musical phrases over a dominant sound.
There are two main scenarios where you’ll encounter dominant chords in the majority of tunes:
You need to have tools and skills for both as an improviser – to create melodies on the chord itself and to approach it as a chord that resolves.
*As a preliminary exercise, it’s good to know the difference between scales and musical language that is absorbed, transcribed, and ingrained over the basic sounds of the jazz repertoire.
First, we’ll focus on the dominant chord as a standalone sound, a musical situation you’ll find in a Blues, the bridge to Rhythm Changes, or a standard like Sweet Georgia Brown.
The Blues
The harmonic makeup of a blues progression is nearly entirely composed of dominant chords. For this reason, it’s a great place to begin developing basic melodic tactics for the dominant sound.
Learning some basic blues melodies, like these Charlie Parker Blues Heads, is an excellent way to get some melodic statements for V7 chords in your ear and fingers:
You might also study some approachable blues solos. Or study how a player like Wynton Kelly or Cedar Walton create melodic ideas over the dominant chords in the blues.
But keep in mind this is just the tip of the iceberg to mastering the form. If you want a clear framework for understanding where these ideas fit and how to use them across the entire form, check out our new PRO course, The Blues Formula.
The Bebop Scale
The bebop scale, a mixolydian scale with an added major 7th as a passing tone, is another effective musical tool to begin creating melodic motion over a dominant sound:
It’s also as an easy way to navigate quick ii-V’s or dominant chords in a tunee. A good example of both major and dominant bebop scales can be found in the solos of Sonny Stitt, John Coltrane and many more:
For more on the details of the bebop scale, see this lesson: Mastering the Bebop Scale
Rhythm Changes Bridge
As mentioned earlier, the bridge to Rhythm Changes is a common spot where improvisers are challenged to play melodic ideas over a single dominant chord.
Studying what great musicians play over this section of the form is the perfect way to gather language and techniques…
For some specific examples taken from iconic players, check out this lesson: 10 Levels of Playing the Bridge to Rhythm Changes (PRO)
Sus Chords
Another scenario where you’ll find an extended or static dominant chord is on a dominant sus chord…
The chord progression to the standard Maiden Voyage is a great example of this sound:
For some great V7 Sus options, check out these 10 solo choruses from Herbie Hancock: The Secrets Behind Herbie Hancock’s One Finger Snap Solo (PRO)
ii. Dominant chords resolving
The second part of learning how to navigate a dominant chord is approaching it as a sound that resolves or serves a transition point in the larger progression.
The core of this motion in harmony is the V7 to I progression…
Learn V7 to I Resolution Tactics
As an improviser you need to understand, hear, and have tools for resolving from V to I:
This means knowing the chord tone and hearing how they resolve to I, ingraining the basic arpeggio, and ingraining musical tactics and language from great players.
Check out this lesson for some options for V7 to I taken from some iconic solos: How to Improvise V7 to I Like a Pro
Dominant alterations
An important aspect of accessing the tension and resolution on dominant chords lies in the altered notes of the chord.
Beyond the main chord tones of the fundamental arpeggio, you can alter upper structures like the 9th, the 11th, and the 13th which add create harmonic tension that wants to resolve to the tonic.
Start by learning the common alterations on dominant chords found in this lesson: Demystifying Dominant 7th Chord Alterations: A Visual Guide
Then you might learn how to use the altered scale, an quick way to access these altered notes:
More in this lesson: Keys to the Altered Scale or this PRO lesson with some examples from the solos of 5 Secrets for Mastering the Altered Scale.
Tritone Substitution
One of the most common ways to create harmonic and melodic tension on a dominant chord in this music is the tritone substitution.
Specifically, substituting a dominant chord with another dominant chord a tritone away:
For more on the tritone substitution, as well as some great examples from Kenny Dorham solos, check out this lesson: 10 Tritone Substitution Tactics from Kenny Dorham
Transcribing language from great players
The best way to quickly develop new techniques for any sound, especially dominant chords, is by studying how great players approach them in their solos.
Everyone from Louis Armstrong to Roy Hargrove all the way to your favorite players today have a personal language and approach to dominant chords…
Transcribing these solos and phrases is a useful way to learn and practice new techniques. For instance, check out this lesson: Chick Corea: 7 Essential Dominant Chord Techniques
III. Dominant chords in different harmonic settings
Navigating dominant chords and the various ways they resolve in a progression requires more than memorizing music theory terms and playing arpeggios.
It comes down to the difference between knowing theory vs. understanding harmony – seeing these chords not as definitions, but as sounds functioning within a key.
When you look at the repertoire as a whole, you’ll see that dominant chords are the main tool for getting from point A to point B in the form. Specifically, to the different arrival points within a key (the ii-, to IV chord, or the relative minor, etc.).
These chords are referred to as “secondary dominants” in traditional harmony. Beyond the basic V7 chord, we need to have tools for accessing and resolving these sounds as well…
Remember, improvising in a key isn’t just about focusing on the diatonic chords built from the scale, it’s the common arrival points in the key and the dominant chords that get you there.
The ii-V-I Progression
First and foremost, the dominant chord is the central factor creating harmonic motion in the ii-V-I progression:
The goal is to learn and ingrain ii-V in major and minor, in all keys, so you can navigate these relationships in any tune or harmonic situation.
Check out this lesson for a closer look at this and 25 essential lines: Master the ii-V-I Progression
V7 of V7 or the II7 Chord
Moving beyond the diatonic chords, the first secondary dominant you’re likely to encounter is the V7 of V7 chord or dominant II chord.
This relates to cycle movement or resolving around the circle of 5ths – II7 resolving to V7 resolving to I.
The II7 chord pops up in many popular tunes. Start with this lesson for some solid tactics: 4 Sonny Rollins Tools to Tackle The V7 of V7 Chord Progression
The bVII Chord
The bVII7 chord or “Backdoor V” chord is another chord resolving around the circle of fifths, often used to move from the IV chord and resolve back to I.
Once you learn the bVII chord and it’s relation to the home key, you’ll start hearing it everywhere. Check out this lesson to build your skills: Mastering Chords in Jazz: The Flat VII7 Chord (PRO)
The VI Chord
The dominant VI chord is used to move to the ii- minor chord and is an integral piece of the turnaround or I-VI-ii-V progression:
See this lesson for language and common variations for this essential progression: 7 Killer Turnarounds for Jazz Improvisation (PRO)
Practicing Dominant chords
The way you play dominant chords is a direct reflection of your broader knowledge and depth as a musician…
In a sense, all of your musical knowledge can be applied to a chord as versatile as the dominant chord. This is why it’s so important to start focusing on this sound in the practice room!
Find an area that is a musical weak point or a topic that piques your interest – there is great value in each step and always room to learn, explore, and improve.
Here are some areas where you might begin:
- Learn to play over dominant chords by themselves
- Master the bebop scale
- Focus on the blues and the
- Master the V7 to I resolution
- Learn the alterations on V7 chords
- Master tritone substitution
- Transcribe dominant language from solos
- Focus on the ii-V-I progression
- Learn how secondary dominants resolve to diatonic chords
There is enough here for a lifetime of study, but the most important task is that first step you take in the practice room…
