Piano Week 28: Secondary dominants in songs

Weekly Focus

Week 28 applies secondary dominants directly inside song forms. The goal is controlled placement in cadences with smooth bass and voice leading.

Success this week means you can switch between original and applied-dominant versions without losing time or clarity.

Repertoire & Chord Map

Primary song is Fly Me to the Moon, with Misty as transfer. Keep changes sparse: one applied dominant per cadence area.

Core cadence toggle loop:

iim7 | V7 | Imaj7 | VI7 V/ii | iim7 | V/V | V7

Daily map task: alternate original cadence and secondary-dominant cadence every other chorus.

Supplementary Listening & Ear Training (Required)

Use this track as the ear-training backbone for “Secondary dominants in songs”, then transfer what you hear to piano the same day.

Weekly listening pick:

• Confirmation — Charlie Parker

Why this track now: It highlights bebop cadence flow and precise harmonic timing, which matches Week 28’s goals.

Ear tasks (10–15 min, at least 3 sessions this week):

1. Listen once without the instrument and name the key center by ear (major/minor/modal). Then verify the key at piano.
2. Find one cadence or arrival point, then play: root + shell ii-V-I (or closest functional equivalent) in that key.
3. Lift a short 4–8 bar fragment by ear, play it slowly, and record ~30s so you can compare your hearing vs. the recording.

Extra challenge (optional): transpose your lifted fragment to the weekly priority ladder when possible (F → Eb → G → Bb → C).

End-of-Week Reflection

Did your applied cadences still support melody and form, or did they draw attention away from phrasing? Carry one stable cadence substitution into Week 29.