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secondary dominant

A V chord aimed at a chord other than the tonic, briefly making it feel like home.

A dominant chord aimed not at home but at some other chord in the key, briefly treating that chord as a temporary tonic. The dominant of the dominant (written V/V) pulls toward the fifth for a moment before resolving, a quick side-trip that adds motion without truly leaving the key. It is the most common way tonal music borrows extra tension.

Learn it: Roman numerals

The one-sentence definition at the top is the same one the Theory Aide extension shows as a tooltip inside Ableton Live. Hover any dotted term for its own.