The New International Encyclopædia/Dominant

​DOMINANT (from Lat. dominari, to rule, from dominus, lord; connected with Gk. δαμᾶν, daman, Skt. dam, to subdue, OHG. zam, Ger. zahm, Icel. tamr, AS. tom, Engl. tame). In music —(1) The fifth tone of the scale. (2) Dominant chord, the triad upon the fifth degree. So in the key of C it is g-b-d. It is always a major chord in both major and minor keys. (3) Dominant seventh, a chord obtained by adding a minor seventh to the dominant triad. Its resolution is determined by the third, which, being the leading-tone (q.v.) of the scale, moves a half step upward; and the seventh, which always descends a half step. In the key of C the dominant seventh is g-b-d-f; the resolution, g-c-e. (4) The key of the dominant is the one most closely related to the tonic key. Next comes the key of the fifth below or sub-dominant. All the tones of the scale can be regarded as component elements of these three fundamental chords, thus:

Sub-Dom. Dom.
F A C E G B D
Tonic

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