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Subdominant
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In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth

tonal degree of the diatonic scale. It is so called because it is the
same distance "below" the tonic as the dominant is above the
tonic - in other words, the tonic is the dominant of the
subdominant.[2] It also happens to be the note immediately
"below" the dominant.[3] It is sung as fa in solfege. In the C Tonic and subdominant in C
major scale (white keys on a piano, starting on C), the Play . C major and F major
subdominant is the note F; and the subdominant chord uses the
chords.
notes F, A, and C. In music theory, Roman numerals are used to
symbolize the subdominant chord as 'IV' if it is within the major
mode (because it is a major triad, for example F-A-C in C
major) or 'iv' if it is within the minor mode (because it is a
minor triad, for example F-A♭-C in C minor).

In very much conventionally tonal music, harmonic

analysis will reveal a broad prevalence of the
primary (often triadic) harmonies: tonic, dominant, Subdominant (IV) in IV-V-I
and subdominant (i.e., I and its chief auxiliaries a 5th progression, in C Play
removed), and especially the first two of these.

— Berry (1976)[4]

6
Because ii6, ii5, and neapolitan sixth chords contain the fourth
scale degree in the bass, they are also considered subdominant
harmonies because they substitute for the same harmonic Major seventh chord on F. Play
purpose as chords built on the fourth scale degree. 7
IVM,[1] or subdominant seventh
in C major.
A cadential subdominant chord followed by a tonic chord (the
chord of the key of the piece) produces the so-called "plagal"
(or "Amen") cadence.

"Subdominant" also refers to a relationship of musical keys. For

example, relative to the key of C major, the key of F major is
Subdominant (IV) in I-IV-I
the subdominant. Music which modulates (changes key) often
progression, in C Play
modulates into the subdominant when the leading tone is
lowered by a half step to the subtonic (B to B♭ in the key of C).
Modulation into the subdominant key often creates a sense of musical relaxation; as opposed to
modulation into dominant (fifth note of the scale), which increases tension.

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Subdominant - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subdominant

In sonata form, the subdominant key plays a subordinate though still crucial role: typically, in the
recapitulation, there is a section written in the subdominant key, occurring at the point
corresponding to the location in the exposition where the music modulated into the dominant key.
The use of the subdominant in this location often serves as a way of keeping the rest of
recapitulation in the tonic.

As with other chords which may or tend to precede the

dominant the subdominant diatonic function acts as a dominant
preparation or predominant. In theories after Hugo Riemann it
is considered to balance the dominant around the tonic (being as
far below the tonic as the dominant is above).

Sources
1. Benward & Saker (2003). Music: In Theory and Practice, Vol. I,
p.229. Seventh Edition. ISBN 978-0-07-294262-0.
2. Jonas, Oswald (1982). Introduction to the Theory of Heinrich
Schenker (1934: Das Wesen des musikalischen Kunstwerks: Eine The circle of fifths drawn within
Einführung in Die Lehre Heinrich Schenkers), p.22. Trans. John the chromatic circle as a star
Rothgeb. ISBN 0-582-28227-6. "subdominant [literally, lower dodecagram.[5] In C, the tonic
dominant]" emphasis original. would be on the top with
3. "Subdominant" (http://dictionary.reference.com subdominant and dominant at the
/search?q=subdominant), Dictionary.com. bottom both equidistant to the
4. Berry, Wallace (1976/1987). Structural Functions in Music, p.62.
tonic.
ISBN 0-486-25384-8.
5. McCartin, Brian J. (1998). "Prelude to Musical Geometry". The
College Mathematics Journal 29, no. 5 (November): 354–70. (abstract) (http://www.maa.org
/pubs/cmj_Nov98.html) (JSTOR) (http://links.jstor.org
/sici?sici=0746-8342(199811)29%3A5%3C354%3APTMG%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Q), p. 364.

External links
Media related to Subdominant at Wikimedia Commons

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Categories: Diatonic functions Scale degrees

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