The leading note has a more precisely descriptive name than the other degrees: it simply "leads on" to the beginning of the next octave at the end of a scale. In the same way that the mediant is in the "middle" of the tonic and the dominant, so the submediant is in the "middle" of the tonic and the subdominant. The mediant is a 3rd above the tonic, and the submediant is a 3rd below. Just as with the subdominant, the "sub" in submediant (the 6th degree) means "below", and is the same distance below the tonic as the mediant is above the tonic. The word mediant derives from the Latin for "middle", and the mediant note - the 3rd degree - is in the middle of the two most important degrees, the tonic and the dominant. The "sub" in subdominant is Latin for "below", and the 4th degree is so called because it forms the interval of a 5th below the tonic, just as the dominant is a fifth above the tonic.įor example, in D major, the dominant is A (a fifth above D), and the subdominant is G (a fifth below D). ![]() It is an important note in forming a perfect cadence (see Cadences, and the fifth is the interval which dictates the cycle of keys - a key's closest relation is a fifth away - and the fifth is the most prominent tone other than the fundamental in the harmonic series of overtones. The 5th degree of the scale has a special relationship with the 1st degree of the scale, and apart from the tonic itself, is the most important note - hence, it is the dominant note. "Super" is the Latin word for "above", and the supertonic is, naturally, the next note above the tonic: the 2nd degree. The tonic is the 1st degree, and the note which gives the scale or key its name - the key "tone". These names and their corresponding degree can be confusing and tricky to remember, so we will briefly look at the explanation and reason for each.Įssentially, the most important to remember are the tonic (1st degree) and dominant (5th degree), because the rest should easily slot into place once you understand what the technical names mean. So, if you are given the note F sharp and the key G minor, then the answer is the leading note, and the form of the scale is not mentioned.ĭegrees of the scale are most often used in discussions about harmony (for example, when deciding which chord to use to harmonise a note, it is essential to know which degree of the scale the note is), and therefore it is normally the notes of the harmonic minor scale that you will usually encounter in this context, in a minor key. That might seem confusing, but in practice, it isn't: you will normally just need to know the degree of the scale for a given note. So, the leading note of G minor is either F natural or F sharp depending on whether you are using the natural, melodic, or harmonic minor scale. The notes might change - with an accidental - depending on which form of the minor you are using. So, for example, the tonic of G minor is G (the 1st degree), and the dominant of A flat major is E flat (the 5th degree). Remember that both major and minor scales are diatonic scales, and both have 7 degrees, all named as above. The technical names of each degree are listed below: Degree We can therefore number the notes of any diatonic scale, as for example here in D major: Numbering the degrees of the D major scale The technical namesĮach degree of the scale also has a special, formal name, and of these names you have already met the tonic (1st degree) and the dominant (5th degree), and perhaps also the leading note (7th degree).Īll seven of the technical names of the degrees are important to learn and remember, and you will very often use these in music theory, both to describe the diatonic scales themselves but also for further topics on chords and harmony. A degree is one of the notes of the scale - the first note, the second note, and so on - in other words, the first note of a scale (such as C in C major) is the first degree, the second note is the second degree, and so on. Seven degreesĪll diatonic scales (i.e., all major and minor scales) have seven degrees. The opposite of the word "diatonic" is the word chromatic, and we will soon meet the chromatic scale in The chromatic scale. In modern usage, when we talk about "diatonic music", for example, we are refering to music constructed from major and minor scales. ![]() The word "diatonic" comes from an ancient Greek word and literally means "progressing through tones". Collectively, these scales are known as diatonic scales. We have already closely looked at the major scale and the various minor scales. Now we will introduce the special names given to every degree of the scale. We have already refered to the degrees of the scale and the some special names given to certain notes. ![]() Why not subscribe now?Īlready have a subscription? Make sure you login first! To view the complete study guide, you will need a valid subscription.
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