The harmony most commonly chosen as the resting-place of a semicadence is the chord of the _dominant_,--the fifth step of the momentary key,--that being the harmony next in importance to that of the tonic (the one invariably used for the perfect cadence).

The following example illustrates the dominant semicadence:-- [Illustration: Example 34.

Fragment of Brahms.] The cadence-chord is the dominant harmony (root _e_) in the key of A minor; neither of the two upper tones on the first and second beats is the root of the chord; it is quite sufficient that the root appears as lowermost tone, and even this is not necessary.

The "point of repose" is shifted to the second beat, in the manner so amply illustrated in the examples of the disguised cadence; the methods we have seen may be applied to _any_ kind of cadence.
See also Ex.

18; the key, and therefore the chord, at the semicadence is the same as that of the above example (simply major instead of minor).
Also Ex.