It’s where we get the name of each scale from. Up next we have the 3rd degree of a scale which is called the mediant. Every major and minor scale has 8 notes. To practice memorizing these, try taking the Scale Degree Names Quiz. These names apply to all major and minor scales. Answers nearly all the questions I had. The degrees of a scale But, each scale degree has a special name too which are sometimes referred to as the technical names of the scale. © Hello Music Theory 2020 | All rights reserved | Sitemap. Just remember the mediant is in the middle of a triad (between the tonic – 1st degree, and the dominant – 5th degree). Your email address will not be published. This means that you just start again and carry on counting the degrees from the 1st again. For this reason a flattened 7th note is called the subtonic. We’re going to jump a few notes ahead now to the next most important note in a scale which is the 5th degree called the dominant. To author a tutorial or quiz, only written content is needed. It’s the same super from which we get the words supervisor from (someone who is above you) or superb (something that is above your expectations). We could number them 1-8, but this would get confusing when we start to talk about other numbers such as beats in a bar, chord numbers and fingering for instruments such as piano or guitar. When referring to notes of a scale, we number them as the degrees of a scale. This technical name comes from a Latin word which means ‘middle’. 1st - Tonic; 2nd - Supertonic; 3rd - Mediant; It’s the same distance below the tonic as the dominant is above the tonic – a perfect 5th. Scale Degree Names. Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 10 years helping thousands of students unlock the joy of music. The 2nd degree of a scale is called the supertonic. The 6th degree of the scale is a 3rd (mediant) below the tonic. Any seven note scale (diatonic scale) begins with the tonic, and other degree names are based on their position in relation to the tonic. The natural minor scale is ever so slightly different though as the 7th degree of the scale is an interval of a tone (whole step) below the tonic instead of a semitone (half step) like the leading note. The second is the Supertonic, the third is the Mediant, fourth is Subdominant, fifth is the Dominant, sixth is the Submediant, and last the seventh is the Leading Tone or a Subtonic in a minor chord. Scale Degree Names. Since then he's been working to make music theory easy for over 1 million students in over 80 countries around the world. beginner’s guide to musical scales post here, An Overview Of The 20th Century Music Era, 7th degree – The leading note (or leading tone). When building a triad chord we use three notes: the 1st, 3rd and 5th degrees of a scale. The first scale degree is called the tonic. It’s also where the name ‘tonic triad’ comes from as it’s a triad chord based on the tonic. The dominant always wants to resolve to the tonic and so a lot of harmony revolves around the dominant chord. The names relate to their function and to their position to each other on the scale, for example the Tonic is the primary tone, the Subdominant is below the Dominant, and the Leading Tone "leads" to the Tonic. The Scale Degrees have these names for a reason. Even though it may seem a bit confusing at first there is a reason each one is called what it is. If you try playing a major scale you’ll notice that the 7th note sounds like it wants to lead us back to the tonic. For now, it is good to know the names. It is also known as the keynote because it is the most pivotal note in the scale. The 3rd (the mediant) is in the middle of the 1st and 5th notes which is why it’s called the mediant. An A♭ major scale with Scale-Degree Names. You might wonder why it’s called the middle note as it’s not even close to being the middle of a scale but it get its name from when we form a triad chord. Degrees are useful for indicating the size of intervals and chords and whether they are major or minor. Feel free to tell me what you think about the topics covered or give ideas for new tutorials that you would like to see added. It’s also sometimes called the keynote as this note tells us what key we’re in. Your feedback is valuable! Second Scale Degree: Supertonic If possible could you provide a more detailed explanation of the function of each or the degrees Relative to their degree name, ie what does the sub dominant resolve to? The 6th degree of the scale is called the submediant. The most important note in a scale is the 1st degree and it’s called the tonic. We'll learn more about what those functions are in more advanced tutorials. The tonic is the first note of any diatonic scale. When referring to notes of a scale, we number them as the degrees of a scale. It’s called this because it usually leads into the note above (the tonic). Why is it important that we think of the sub dominant a 5th below the tonic? We'll learn more about what those functions are in more advanced tutorials. It’s in the middle of the tonic and the subdominant. Each note in a scale has a name that matches its function. Thanks Dan, this is a well explained and informative piece; answered all my questions. The first note is the 1st degree, the second is the 2nd degree and so on as shown below. It’s definitely worth learning them, especially if you’re taking a music theory exam. Example 2 shows the notes of the A ♭ major scale in order. The names of the degrees of the scale are used a lot in music theory and will come up a lot when talking about chords. It get’s its name from being an interval of a 5th (dominant) below the tonic. Each scale degree also has a name for it. In music theory, the term scale degree refers to the position of a particular note on a scale relative to the tonic, the first and main note of the scale from which each octave is assumed to begin. Each note in a scale has a name that matches its function. But, each scale degree has a special name too which are sometimes referred to as the technical names of the scale. The word Sub means ‘below’ and it’s where we get words like submarine or subway from. If you or someone you know would like to author some of the tutorials, please let me know by sending a message to me via the feedback form. Required fields are marked *. For questions, please ask via the feedback form. If you have any questions that weren’t covered here post a comment below. The first and eighth scale degree are given the name of Tonic. All of the other technical names are the same. Each note in a scale is called the degree of the scale depending on how many pitches away it is from the first note of the scale. It’s also where we get the name for the 4th degree of the scale which is the subdominant. And how does that resolution relate to it being called the sub dominant? For now, it is good to know the names. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in 2012 and then launched Hello Music Theory in 2014. Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions get in touch! Example 2 shows these Scale-degree Names applied to an A♭ major scale, with half- and whole-steps labeled:. All of the scale degree names we’ve covered so far are from a major scale. Therefore, each degree of the scale is given a technical name: Example 3. One way you can remember this note is that it’s one note below the dominant, and so is the subdominant. Although this is a handy way to remember, it’s not actually why it’s called the subdominant. These names apply to all major and minor scales. Now we’ll take a look at each scale degree name in a bit more detail. Degrees are relative to the major scale. This is a great article. In this post, I’m going to look at the different names of these degrees and how they got their names. List of musical scales and modes Name Image Sound Degrees Intervals # of pitch classes Lower tetrachord Upper tetrachord Use of key signature usual or unusual 15 equal temperament: 15-tet scale on C. Graphics and audio will be created by me based on your instructions. As we covered in our beginner’s guide to musical scales post here, a scale is a group of notes arranged in ascending or descending order of pitch.

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