30 / 18210 · Module 2 — Major Scales, Scale Degrees, Key Signatures, and the Circle of Fifths← prev⊞ allnext →
2.7Scale degrees now become meaningful
Every major scale has seven positions.
We call them:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Traditional names:
| Degree | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | tonic |
| 2 | supertonic |
| 3 | mediant |
| 4 | subdominant |
| 5 | dominant |
| 6 | submediant |
| 7 | leading tone |
You do not need to memorize all those formal names immediately.
For practical playing, care most about:
1 = tonic = home
4 = subdominant = movement away
5 = dominant = tension
7 = leading tone = wants to resolve to 1