Do dominants, secondary dominants, or tritone substitutions have to be seventh chords?
You might think yes. But really, no….
This deserves further explanation which I provide in my response to the Quora poster.
Included in my explanation is how even single notes can imply the dominant effect. And a deeper dive into the all-important tritone.
I also touch on how and why the tritone doesn’t always imply a dominant effect either. (Hint: Think minor six chords or a simple IV chord.) And why the Blues totally drives he classical theorists crazy.
The reason seventh chords are used so often setting up a resolution to the tonic, is that they have two drivers of the need to resolve. Can you guess what the two drivers are?
That answer and my full explanation to this question can be found in my Quora answer
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