Tonic, subdominant, and dominant tall chords within a key

Hold the bass note at the keyboard and sing the broken chords. After singing the simple I – ii⁷ – V⁷ – I pattern, explore each of the substitutions below. After singing the pattern, play the full chords at the keyboard. Transpose into other major keys.

Tonic

Subdominant

Dominant

Tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords built on a fixed note

Below are the most frequently used tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords built on a fixed note (C). Hold the bass note at the keyboard and sing the broken chords. After singing the pattern, play the full chords at the keyboard. Transpose onto other roots.

Tonic Function

Subdominant Function

Dominant Function