Dominanttonic

Dominant-tonic refers to the functional relationship between the dominant and tonic in tonal music theory. It describes how the dominant chord, built on the fifth scale degree (V), creates tension that resolves to the tonic chord (I), thereby establishing or reaffirming the piece’s key center.

The dominant’s pull comes from characteristic voice-leading tendencies, notably the leading tone and the tritone that appear in the dominant seventh chord (V7). In major and minor keys, the dominant often includes a raised seventh, which intensifies the pull toward the tonic and helps secure a clear sense of resolution.

The most common manifestation is the authentic cadence, a movement from V to I that signals musical closure. A perfect authentic cadence requires V and I in root position with the tonic note in the melody’s highest voice. Variations, such as imperfect authentic cadences or half cadences that end on V, offer different levels of finality and forward momentum.

In practice, composers use dominant-tonic progressions in many keys and contexts. The concept extends to modulations, secondary dominants, and related devices that temporarily broaden or reassign the tonal center while preserving the underlying V–I pull. The dominant-tonic relationship is a central pillar of tonal harmony, shaping phrases, cadence points, and the sense of arrival throughout much of Western classical and popular music.