Scale Degrees

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Chapter 4 · Lesson 03

In short

Every note of a scale is called a degree and has its own name and role. They are numbered from the tonic (I) to the leading tone (VII). The most important ones are the tonic, the dominant and the leading tone.

Lesson Notes

You already know how a scale is built: seven notes at specific distances. Now we give each note its own name and role inside the scale. These positions are called degrees.

01Every note has a role

The notes of a scale are not equals. Each one carries a different "weight" depending on its position. Some sound stable and calm, others create tension that asks to be resolved.

To tell the degrees apart regardless of key, we number them with Roman numerals from I to VII, always starting from the first note of the scale.

02The names of the degrees

Each degree has its own name. The figure below shows the positions in C major, and the names follow right after.

The degrees of C major

The seven degrees of C major with their Roman numerals, from I to VII. The 8th note is the tonic again, one octave higher. Their names are right below, and they apply to every major or minor scale.

The names of all seven degrees:

Tonic (I)
Supertonic (II)
Mediant (III)
Subdominant (IV)
Dominant (V)
Submediant (VI)
Leading tone or Subtonic (VII)

03The three most important

Of the seven degrees, three have the most distinctive role.

The tonic (I) is the scale's "home". It is the point of rest, the place we start from and return to. When the melody lands on the tonic, we hear completion.

The dominant (V) is the opposite. It creates tension that asks to resolve to the tonic. That relationship of tension and resolution is one of the most fundamental features of music.

The leading tone (VII) sits one semitone below the tonic. That small distance gives it a strong pull toward the tonic, as if it "pushes" toward it, which is what the name describes. When the 7th degree sits a whole tone below the tonic, though, as in the natural minor, the pull is much weaker and the degree is called the subtonic.

Recap

Every note of a scale is called a degree and has its own numeral (I-VII) and name.
The names: Tonic, Supertonic, Mediant, Subdominant, Dominant, Submediant, Leading tone (or Subtonic).
The tonic (I) is the scale's point of rest and completion.
The dominant (V) creates tension that asks to resolve to the tonic.
The leading tone (VII) sits one semitone below the tonic and is pulled toward it. When it sits a whole tone below (as in the natural minor), it is called the subtonic.