Dominant (music)

The dominant in music is the fifth note of a major or minor scale.^[1] In a C scale, the fifth and dominant note will be G. Chords built on this note are called dominant chords.^[1] In the key of C, the dominant chord will be G-B-D. Keys have the same relationship as notes, so the dominant key will be the key of the fifth note. So in C, the key of G is the dominant key. In musical theory, the dominant is written with the roman numeral "V".

References

1. "Dominant." The Oxford Dictionary of Music, 2nd ed. rev.. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press, accessed December 15, 2015, (subscription required), http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/opr/t237/e3044.