What is a Dominant?

A dominant is the fifth note of a musical scale and plays an important role in creating tension and resolution in harmony. In music theory, it refers to both the fifth scale degree and the chord built on that note. The dominant helps lead the music back to the tonic, which is the central note or “home” of the key.

For example, in the key of C major, the fifth note of the scale is G, which makes G the dominant. The chord built on this note is the G major chord, often written as the V chord in Roman numeral notation. This chord naturally creates tension that wants to resolve back to the C major chord, which is the tonic.

Dominant chords are widely used in chord progressions because they help create movement and direction in music. They are especially common in classical, jazz, blues, and pop music. By leading back to the tonic, the dominant plays a key role in shaping the harmonic structure and sense of resolution in a composition.