ABSTRACT
Any major or minor triad in a key can be tonicized by preceding it with a major triad whose root lies a perfect fifth above. The third of the secondary dominant acts as a secondary leading tone. However, not all possible tonicizations occur with equal frequency. Even more are created by adding secondary leading-tone chords, which we’ll consider next. The fully diminished seventh chord is the most common type of secondary leading-tone chord. With its seventh only a half step from its resolution, the chord has a stronger tendency than the half-diminished seventh chord. Secondary functions create signature linear patterns. One is a chromatic rising line formed in the bass or other voice by the secondary leading tone and the following chord’s root. The descending chromatic lines in b result from elided resolution of the secondary leading tones, one of the few situations in which sensitive tones in an outer voice are denied their normal resolution.
