subdominant

noun/sʌbˈdɒmɪnənt/

Frequency rank: #19,854 most common English word

Meaning

the fourth degree of a musical scale, lying one step below the dominant (fifth degree).

Illustration for the English word “subdominant”

Example sentence

In music theory, the fourth scale degree is called the subdominant and plays an important role in building tension before the dominant chord.

Synonyms & related words

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