This tutorial is designed to help you write secondary dominants and secondary leading tone chords. It would be easy to "cheat" by simply scrolling ahead, but (pedantic tone of voice) you would only be fooling yourself.

Writing these chords requires several tasks which you will soon perform simultaneously. However, it may be easier to proceed step by step at first. Please take out a sheet of staff paper with two blank staves.

Step 1. Identify the temporary keys.
Step 2. Write the Roman numerals in root position.
Step 3. Write the chords in root position.
Step 4. Invert the chords and write them in the original keys.

Step 1. Identify the temporary keys.

First copy the following clefs, key signatures and barlines onto the top staff. You need not copy the Roman numeral analysis.

Next, copy just the clefs and barlines onto the bottom staff. To avoid confusion, do not write key signatures. This will be your working staff. On the top staff, the Roman numerals below the slashes indicate the temporary keys. Simply count from 1 to 7 in the given key. In the first example, one is d, two is e, three is f sharp, four is g, five is a, six is b, and seven is c sharp. Below the bottom staff in each measure, write the temporary key followed by a colon. The first answer is given:

| Return to the top. | Check your answers to step 1. |

Please scroll no further until you have finished step 1.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The answers to step 1.

Step 2. Write the Roman numerals in root position.

After each colon in the bottom staff, write the Roman numeral which appears above the slash in the top staff, but in root position. Remember that six and six four are inversions of triads and six five, four three and two are inversions of seventh chords. The first answer is given:

| Return to the top. | Check your answers to step 2. |

Please scroll no further until you have finished step 2.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The answers to step 2.

Step 3. Write the chords in root position above the temporary keys on the bottom staff. Dominant triads and dominant seventh chords are always a perfect 5th above tonic. Diminished leading tone chords are always a half step below tonic. Take care to use the proper accidentals.

| Return to the top. | Check your answers to step 3. |

Please scroll no further until you have finished step 3.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The answers to step 3.

Step 4. Invert the chords and write them in the original keys with the proper accidentals on the top staff.

| Return to the top. | Check your answers to step 4. |

Please scroll no further until you have finished step 4.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

The answers to step 4.

| Return to the top. |

If you found this tutorial helpful and want more like it, or if you have any suggestions, please e-mail me at wielandb@northern.edu or tell me in person. Thanks! WW