Song name: Marriage
Key of D
D - F#M - Bm - A(or A7)
Is F#M a secondary dominant to Bm?
It is not seventh chord, but can major chords also work as dominant chords for the six chord?
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I don't understand why F#M is written with the uppercase M. When its just a regular (major) triad shouldn't it be written like F#? (F# = F sharp major; F#m = F sharp minor)– OlliCommented Jan 21, 2022 at 9:03
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Either the D and F# have 'M' attached, or neither do. Neither is preferrable.– TimCommented Jan 21, 2022 at 12:51
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@Tim That is not nescessarily so. If we use the M to explicitely hint a non diatonic major chord it does make sense. Regarding the question: A secondary dominant is a function. This means that you can use any chord that has a dominant function.– LazyCommented Jan 21, 2022 at 22:00
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2 Answers
Dominant chords can be triads, not just seventh chords. So, yes, the F#M chord here is the secondary dominant leading to Bm. The chord progression is I - V/vi - vi - V(or V7).
The dominant chord in a key - V - is simply a triad. It doesn't have to be a dominant seventh - although that, with the tritone, makes it 'even more dominant'.
So, similarly, secondary dominants don't need to be secondary dominant sevenths, although the same idea is present. In fact, secondary dominants don't even have to lead straight to the chord they're dominant to - Your F♯ didn't have to lead to vi (Bm), for it still to have the title secondary dominant.
