Dominant vs Tonic

Side-by-side comparison of two musical terms.

	Dominant	Tonic
Definition	The fifth degree of a scale and the second most important tonal centre after the tonic.	The first and most important note of a key, serving as the central point of rest and resolution.
Category	keys	keys
Pronunciation	/ˈdɒmɪnənt/	/ˈtɒnɪk/
Origin	Latin (dominans, ruling)	Greek (tonikos, of tension)
BPM	—	—
Synonyms	fifth degree V	keynote home note first degree
Antonyms	tonic subdominant	dominant leading note
Usage	The dominant seventh chord resolves powerfully to the tonic at the final cadence.	The piece ends with a strong tonic chord in root position, bringing the harmony to a satisfying close.

Definition: The fifth degree of a scale and the second most important tonal centre after the tonic.
Category: keys
Pronunciation: /ˈdɒmɪnənt/
Origin: Latin (dominans, ruling)
Synonyms: fifth degree V
Antonyms: tonic subdominant
Usage: The dominant seventh chord resolves powerfully to the tonic at the final cadence.

Definition: The first and most important note of a key, serving as the central point of rest and resolution.
Category: keys
Pronunciation: /ˈtɒnɪk/
Origin: Greek (tonikos, of tension)
Synonyms: keynote home note first degree
Antonyms: dominant leading note
Usage: The piece ends with a strong tonic chord in root position, bringing the harmony to a satisfying close.