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Music vocabulary · Music Theory and Harmony

Subdominant

Meaning in music, with examples

nounCommon term

In music, subdominant means: The fourth note of a scale, or the chord built on that note; in C major, the subdominant chord is F major.

In Turkish: subdominant, alt çeken

How it is used

Used when naming scale degrees and harmonic roles. Specify whether you mean the note or the chord when discussing a passage.

Example sentences

  1. Replace the second chord with the subdominant to soften the opening.

    The arranger changes the harmony to the chord on the fourth scale degree.

  2. In C major, the student sang F when asked for the subdominant.

    The question concerns a single scale degree rather than a complete chord.

Common collocations

  • subdominant chord
  • subdominant function
  • subdominant harmony
  • scaleA set of notes played in order of pitch, going up or down, that follows a fixed pattern of steps. Scales are the building blocks of melodies and chords.
  • chordThree or more different notes played or sung at the same time. Chords give a piece its harmony and are named after their root note and type, such as C major or A minor.
  • cadenceA pair of chords that ends a musical phrase or section, giving a sense of rest or of a pause, like punctuation in a sentence.

More terms: Music Theory and Harmony

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