Secondary Dominant Chord Practice (never-ending circle)

[T-Block]

Here is a little exercise that you can do to get you familiar with using secondary dominants.  As we learned ealier, a secondary dominant chord is formed by taking a minor chord, making it major and/or adding the m7th, then resolving to 4 of the chord.  Well, in this exercise, the secondary dominant chords consists of the major part of the chord in the RH and m7th in the LH.  The resolution chord is a 4 chord with the 3rd in the bass.  I'll give yall an example first:

C / A-D-F#  (D major chord in RH, C in the bass, together forms a D7 chord)
B / B-D-G  (G major chord, 3rd (B) in the bass, 4 of D)

Yall see how that works?  Well, what I'm gonna do is keep moving the bass down in 1/2 steps.  So, each set of 2 chords is a secondary dominant chord and it's resolution.  Let's get to it:


Set #1

Root position

B / C#-E#-G#
A# / C#-F#-A#
A / B-D#-F#
G# / B-E-G#
G / A-C#-E
F# / A-D-F#
F / G-B-D
E / G-C-E
Eb / F-A-C
D / F-Bb-D
Db / Eb-G-Eb
C / Eb-Ab-C
(repeat)

1st inversion

B / E#-G#-C#
A# / F#-A#-C#
A / D#-F#-B
G# / E-G#-B
G / C#-E-A
F# / D-F#-A
F / B-D-G
E / C-E-G
Eb / A-C-F
D / Bb-D-F
Db / G-Bb-Eb
C / Ab-C-Eb
(repeat)

2nd inversion

B / G#-C#-E#
A# / A#-C#-F#
A / F#-B-D#
G# / G#-B-E
G / E-A-C#
F# / F#-A-D
F / D-G-B
E / E-G-C
Eb / C-F-A
D / D-F-Bb
Db / Bb-Eb-G
C / C-Eb-Ab
(repeat)


Set #2

Root position

C / D-F#-A
B / D-G-B
Bb / C-E-G
A / C-F-A
Ab / Bb-D-F
G / Bb-Eb-G
Gb / Ab-C-Eb
F / Ab-Db-F
E / F#-A#-C#
D# / F#-B-D#
D / E-G#-B
C# / E-A-C#
(repeat)

1st inversion

C / F#-A-D
B / G-B-D
Bb / E-G-C
A / F-A-C
Ab / D-F-Bb
G / Eb-G-Bb
Gb / C-Eb-Ab
F / Db-F-Ab
E / A#-C#-F#
D# / B-D#-F#
D / G#-B-E
C# / A-C#-E
(repeat)

2nd inversion

C / A-D-F#
B / B-D-G
Bb / G-C-E
A / A-C-F
Ab / F-Bb-D
G / G-Bb-Eb
Gb / Eb-Ab-C
F / F-Ab-Db
E / C#-F#-A#
D# / D#-F#-B
D / B-E-G#
C# / C#-E-A
(repeat)


Does this make sense to everyone?  Since the bass keeps moving down in 1/2 steps, it forms a never-ending circle of sec. dom. chord, then resolution.  As you practice, listen to how each one sounds and see if you can fit it in to a song or whatever.  Any questions, feel free to ask.

[BroAllan]

     Thanks T-Block for all that info on the circle of 5ths and Secondary Dominant chords!
It's something that's really gonna help me improve my playing and bass line skills.   

           Thanks again for the post,    BroAllan

[Blessingss]

This week I've bn doing this practise & it sounds very smooth, actually it is the kind of progression that I like most when the possibilities are endless, where you "progress till the end of the practise"

Umm, I've got one question here and it might be a very stupid one; Are these progressions in a specific key i.e "C" that they can be shifted to the other keys or is to be done just as it is

[T-Block]

Umm, I've got one question here and it might be a very stupid one; Are these progressions in a specific key i.e "C" that they can be shifted to the other keys or is to be done just as it is

They aren't in a specific key, but they can be applied to specific keys. They are supposed to be played in sets of 2. So, the first 2 chords in any set makes one key, then the next 2 chords are applied to the key 1 whole step below it. For example:

Set 1, 2nd inversion, first 2 chords

B / G#-C#-E#
A# / A#-C#-F#

These 2 chords can be played in the keys of B, F#, and C#. Then, in accordance with the pattern, the next 2 chords:

Set 1, 2nd inversion, second 2 chords

A / F#-B-D#
G# / G#-B-E

can be played in the keys of A, E, and B. The key of A is one whole step lower than the key of B. The key of E is one whole step lower than the key of F#. The key of B is one whole step lower than the key of C#.

The pattern keeps repeating forever because once you get back where you started, you can keep going and going. The whole point of this post isn't to make a never-ending progression, it's to get you used to the sound of a second dominant chord and it's resolution in this form. So, if you hear it in a song, you can instantly recognize it.

[toprngr]

This is really interesting as I have been looking for extra activities that could help me on improving my bass lines. The best thing is that I never thought that I would find it here. I guess I am very lucky today. I believe that with more practice, everyone will do great someday, even without talents, as those with talents will just have everything easier in the field that they are interested at.

[Blessingss]

I've just been surfing the net & I came across this information http://www.piano-play-it.com/support-files/secondary-dominants.pdf, what conclusion can someone make here on the subject.   

[Blessingss]

Oops, seems like there's complication here, try this http://www.piano-play-it.com/secondary-dominant.html