Subdominant
The fourth degree of a scale, and the chord built on it, which moves the harmony away from the tonic without creating strong tension.
The subdominant is a gentle departure: it is a fifth below the tonic, so it stands in a symmetrical relationship to the dominant above it, and it neither demands resolution nor settles the music. In practice it is the four chord of the familiar one-four-five progression and the chord that most blues and rock songs move to first. Because it is so comfortable, it is a favourite place to sit while a melody develops.
Example: In the key of C, the chord of F is the subdominant, and a progression that moves from C to F has moved to the subdominant.
See also
Related
- PageScale degree
- PageTonic
- PageChord progression
- PageAugmented chord
- PageBlue note
- PageBlues scale
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley