You might have heard the terms Tonic or Dominant used in describing certain scale degrees but did you know there are more of them? This lesson discusses the names of scales degree and why they are useful to know in a practical sense.
Recap
In previous lessons, we looked at the difference between intervals and scale degrees. Interval names such as perfect 5th/major 3rd etc. are based on the concept of scale degrees. Here are the degrees of the C major scale numbered:
C D E F G A B
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
We add the words perfect, major, minor, augmented and diminished to give a more accurate description of the interval.
C to E is a major third interval.
C to Eb is a minor third interval.
Intervals are used to measure the distance between any two notes, regardless of the key or scales in use. Scale degrees describe how a note relates to a specific scale or key tonic.
If you need a refresher on this then check out parts one, two and three of the intervals series.
Naming Scale Degrees
One aspect of scale degrees that can really help with understanding them is learning the names that are often used in place of the numbers. You may have heard the first degree referred to as the tonic before – here are the names of the rest of the degrees:
1st – Tonic
2nd – Supertonic
3rd – Mediant
4th – Subdominant
5th – Dominant
6th – Submediant
7th – Leading Tone
Steps To Memorising The Names
- Learn that the 5th degree is the dominant. You may have heard this before, especially if you have looked at any chords.
- Next, learn that the 4th degree is the subdominant. This is easy to remember because it is just below the 5th, hence the word ‘sub’.
- Learn the 2nd degree next. This is just one step above the tonic and is called the supertonic.
- Take degrees 3 and 6 after that. 3 is the mediant as it is in the middle between 1 and 5. 6 is the submediant, which makes sense as it is the inversion of a 3rd interval.
- The leaves the 7th – the leading tone. This is straight forward as it tells us it leads back into the tonic which is the next note in the scale.
These terms are used heavily in conventional study of harmony and music theory. You will have to know these names inside and out if you need to sit any exams.
Can’t thank you enough for the theory lessons. I grew up playing piano. At the age of 22 my right hand was paralyzed. I completely quit playing music. I just started playing bass and your videos are bringing back info that I hadn’t used in 20 years! Thanks again man! You.re giving me things to aim for so my practice time is productive.
supertonic is a good nane for a band or hair oil!
name for a band not nane ….
The intervals lessons were excellent, thanks Mark. Your hard work is much appreciated and things are starting to make sense! :)
Hi Mark , I have just recently subscribed and loving your lesson . You are a great teacher and i am learning alot . Thank you for your amazing website
Intervals, scale degrees, on and on. Very confusing! These lessons take more than one review…several to start to understand anything and to keep it straight. You are very good and this must seem simple and basic to you. It is difficult for me to get my brain around it. Still foggy about intervals, scales and the relationships between the two.
Hi Mark. Like many of the other posts, I can’t thank you enough for the clarity your lessons give. I’ve been playing Guitar for about 10 years, and recently bought a Bass. I’ve built up a reasonable background in theory, but with the Bass, I was getting more questions than answers. Your lessons have helped me link all the disparate knowledge into a cohesive foundation – I now have answers to the questions. Most particularly, I have enjoyed learning how bass lines are constructed from a theory perspective – Man, did the lights really come on then!. Thanks again from a convert in New Zealand
All the music I ever listened to makes more sense after watching this
Thanks Mr Mark
I’ve been studying music on my own for a very time and missed a lot without formal training. Your free lessons have helped me a great deal. I can’t thank you enough. God bless you my friend.
These contents are awesome!!!!!