5th scale degree. Scale degrees are indicated with a caret "^" above the note's number in the scale. 1st note is always tonic, 2nd is supertonic etc.) Scale-degree Names. Scale degree names 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 8 below are always the same for all major and minor scales (ie. # Dominant (! Listen to Example 1 to hear a major scale, ascending: In Example 1 the whole-steps are labeled with square brackets (and Ws), and the half-steps are labeled with angled brackets (and Hs). Each scale degree has a name, shown here in G major: The first and last note is the tonic. Because Do changes depending on what the first note of a major scale is, this method of solfège is called Movable Do. In flat key signatures, the second-to-last flat is the tonic (the first note of a scale). 3. This is in contrast to Scale degrees are measured by how far the given note's pitch is from the note at the scale's start. This example shows how the names of the scale degrees derived. Major key signatures are said to be “real” if they are one of the key signatures in Examples 10 or 11. Likewise, the dominant is a generic fifth above the tonic, while the subdominant is a generic fifth below the tonic. An ordered collection of half- and whole-steps, The relative number of a note in a scale relative to the first note of that scale, A system that pairs each note of a scale with a particular syllable, The numbers 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Angled bracket placed above Arabic numerals to indicate scale degrees, The application of solemnization syllables (Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, etc.) These technical names are directly related to the concept of tonality or key. The second key signature in Example 7 is in bass clef. Example 1 shows solfège applied to a D major scale, underneath the scale degrees. The tonic functions almost always as the starting point and the ending point. , but obviously the note names will be different for each scale / key combination. Learn scale degree names with free interactive flashcards. 1: Music Theory Fundamentals 38 Section 2.6 SCALE DEGREE NAMES The different notes of a scale are called scale degrees or scale steps.Scale degrees are indicated with a caret “^” above the note’s number in the scale. regardless of scale, The number of scale steps between notes of a collection or scale, Having a different letter name but sounding the same (e.g. Category 1: embellishing tones that move by step. Authors are compensated. In English, the names of the scale degrees are also the names of their function, and they remain the same in major and in minor. The Purpose of each Scale Degree Name. 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. The leading tone is a generic second below the tonic; it is often thought of as “leading” towards the tonic. The last note is Do, because it is a repetition of the first note. Example: C Major Scale Tonic: C Supertonic: D Mediant: E Subdominant: F Dominant: G Submediant: A Leading Tone: B The different notes of a scale are called scale degrees or scale steps. Every given key – whether major or minor – has seven notes and each note is considered a degree and has its relationship and function [most importantly] in … All of the major key signatures are placed on a circle, in order of number of accidentals. A major scale, a sound with which you are undoubtedly familiar, consists of seven whole (W) and half (H) steps in the following succession: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. Scale Degree Scale Degree Name A Minor (Natural) scale Therefore, this is the key signature of G♭ major. Write in the scale degrees … In tenor clef, there is no break, but F♯ and G♯ appear in the lower octave instead of the upper octave. One thing to note is that the 7th Scale Degree is called the Subtonic when you’re in a Minor (Natural) scale and it’s called the Leading Note when in a Major scale. Though it may seem complicated, this information is crucial so be sure to master it! Writing major scales from tonic and other scale degrees (, Writing and identifying major key signatures (, Major Scale © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, B-flat Major Scale © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Scale Degrees and Solfege © Bryn Hughes is licensed under a, Scale-Degree Names © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Scale-Degree Names by Interval © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Key Signature © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Key Signature Application © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Order of Sharps and Flats © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Sharp Key Signatures Examples © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Flat Key Signature Examples © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, C and F Major Key Signatures © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, All Sharp Key Signatures © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, All Flat Key Signatures © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, F-flat Major Scale © Chelsey Hamm is licensed under a, Circle of Fifths © Bryn Hughes is licensed under a. Gravity. Dominant refers to the 5th scale degree. Spell. The bottom three key signatures (at 7, 6, and 5 o’clock) in Example 13 are enharmonic . Dominant refers to the 5th scale degree. A key signature, consisting of either sharps or flats, appears at the beginning of a composition, after a clef but before a time signature. four clefs that we have learned: The order of sharps is always F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Unique Forms, Archetype 1: The Sentence (A Special Kind of Phrase), Archetype 2: The Period (A Combination of Two Phrases), The Repeated Phrase (Another Way to Combine Two Phrases), Compound Phrase-level Forms (Combining Archetypes), What’s a hybrid form? The Scale Degree Names Quiz. The first note of a scale is  and the numbers ascend until the last note of a scale, which is also usually  (although some instructors prefer ). The flats always make a perfect zig-zag pattern, alternating going up and down, regardless of clef, as seen in Example 6. Because of this, diatonic melodies often end on the diatonic note. The fifth note is called the dominant. In flat key signatures, the second-to-last flat is the tonic. Scale degree names. Note the caret above each number. The second key signature in Example 8 is in treble clef, and its second-to-last flat is A♭. All of the Bs, Es, and As after this key signature will be flat, regardless of their octave. STUDY. Scale Degree Names. Key Signatures Learn about key signatures and the special ordering of accidentals. Scale: _____ A AAAAA AA Scale: _____ 3 3 3 3 3 ' AN AAAAN AN AANA IA AAAA IIA+N 2 5 9 10 4 1 PageBlitzBooksT2Supplement2 www.blitzbooks.com.au 1. Scale Degree Names The notes of the scale are often refered to by scale degree names rather than by numbers or sol-fa sylables. C major is the key signature with no sharps or flats, C♭ is the key signature with every note flat (7 flats total), and C♯ is the key signature with every note sharp (7 sharps total). Example 5 demonstrates this: In Example 5, both of these Bs will be flat, because B♭ is in the key signature. Each note of a scale has a special name, called a scale degree. The term scale step is sometimes used synonymously with scale degree, but it may alternatively refer to the distance between two successive and adjacent scale degrees (see steps and skips ). Each scale degree has a name: G major scale # $! Therefore, this is the key signature of A♭ major. Open Music Theory by Chelsey Hamm and Bryn Hughes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted. Now lets dive in. The first pitch of the scale, called the tonic, is the pitch upon which the rest of the scale is based. Learn how to figure out the scale degree of any note based on a key signature. Traditional Scale Degree Names. It is the “key note.” Dominant is five scale … Scale Degree Names. [/footnote], Structure of Individual Sections (Simple vs. The tonic is the tonal center of a key; it is like home base, where all harmonic tension is released. , but obviously the note names will be different for each scale / key combination. Module 2 Lesson 5 Material Lesson 5 is associated with pages 17-22 of the Tonal Harmony textbook. To author a tutorial or quiz, only written content is needed. Example 6 shows the order of sharps and flats in all Test. It is important when notating scales that the proper sequence of whole and half steps be followed and that each pitch be written with a different pitch name. # Mediant &! For more information check out my detailed guide to scale degree names here. The first (and last) note is called the tonic. In sharp key signatures, the last sharp is a half-step below the tonic (the first note of a scale). Therefore, this is the key signature of F♯ major. PLAY. Compound), Details about Refrains, Episodes, and Auxiliary Sections in Rondo Form, Authentic cadences (they sound conclusive! 1.12 Scale Degree Names LearnMusicTheory.net! " Each scale degree also has a name for it. Scale Degrees are solmization syllables notated by Arabic numerals with carets, angled brackets, above them. A. key signature. Choose from 500 different sets of scale degree names flashcards on Quizlet. An A♭ major scale with Scale-Degree Names. Solfège solmization syllables are another method of naming notes in a major scale. Correct! Scale Degree Names. last sharp (in this case the only sharp), F♯, is a half-step below the note G. Therefore, this is the key signature of G major. [footnote]These hybrid forms come from William Caplin (2013), Analyzing Classical Form. 7th degree: the leading note (or leading tone) The 8th degree of the scale is actually the tonic but an octave higher. Terms in this set (7) Tonic. The last sharp, G♯, is a half-step below the note A. The names of the other scale degrees reflect their relationship to the tonic or dominant. Major scales are named for their first note, which is also their last note. Diatonic scales are scales that include half and whole steps. Example 3 shows the notes of the A♭ major scale out of order, with Scale-degree Names:. There are easy ways to remember which key signature belongs to which major scale. If a double accidental is needed for a key signature (such as a double sharp or double flat), then a major key signature is said to be “imaginary.” Example 12 shows an F♭ major scale: This F♭ major scale and its associated key signature are imaginary because there is a B. Flashcards. Lowest and highest tone of the scale. Category 3: embellishing tones involving static notes, Identifying the phrase model in harmonic analysis, Substituting the leading-tone chord in place of V(7), Using the leading-tone chord as a half-diminished-seventh chord, Writing plagal motion after an authentic cadence, Writing plagal motion at a phrase beginning, Secondary V and V7 as altered diatonic chords, Connection to the lament-bass progression, Ger+6 in major keys ([latex]\downarrow\hat{3}[/latex] vs. [latex]\uparrow\hat{2}[/latex] – me vs. ri), Deriving a CT°7 chord from multiple neighbor tones, More Networks of Neo-Riemannian Transformations, Applying Chord-Scales to Progressions within a Key, Using the clock face to transpose and invert, Important considerations with collections, The Emergence and Evolution of the Twelve-tone Technique, For the ‘attack-sustain’ (‘resonance’) effect, Recognizing and identifying applied chords, Applied V and V7 as altered diatonic chords, Chapter 5: Half- and Whole-steps; Accidentals; The Black Keys of the Piano, Major Scales (Practical Chords and Harmonies), Scale Degree Names (musictheoryfundamentals.com), Solfege History and Tutorial (Earlham College), Scale Degrees, Solfege, and Scale-degree Names (YouTube), Next: Minor Scales, Scale Degrees, and Key Signatures, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Tonic 1. There are flat key signatures and sharp key signatures. , consisting of either or , appears at the beginning of a composition, after a … Complete the Self-Test associated with this section of the Tonal Harmony textbook and check your answers in the Appendix D. How are Scale Degree Names … 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. A major scale is an ordered collection of half- (abbreviated H) and whole-steps (abbreviated W) in the following ascending succession: W-W-H-W-W-W-H. It is a common misconception that the subdominant is so named because it is a generic second below the dominant, but this is not true, as demonstrated in Example 3. Each note of the scale, or scale degree, has a conventional name. If you continue from C major counter-clockwise, flat key signatures appear, each subsequent key signature adding one more flat. Notation of Notes, Clefs, and Ledger Lines, Half- and Whole-steps, Accidentals, and The Black Keys of the Piano, Major Scales, Scale Degrees, and Key Signatures, Minor Scales, Scale Degrees, and Key Signatures, Introduction to Diatonic Modes and the Chromatic "Scale", The Basics of Sight-singing and Dictation, Roman Numerals and SATB Chord Construction, III. These will come in handy when we want to name chords related to keys. In C major, C is the tonic note or chord. In the treble, bass, and alto clefs, this pattern “breaks” after D♯, and then resumes. The Latin prefix “super” means above, so the supertonic is a generic second above the tonic. The names are the same for the major and minor scales, only the seventh degree changes name when flattened: Musical scores are temporarily disabled. 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. Example 13 shows the circle of fifths for major key signatures: If you start at the top of the circle (12 o’clock), the key signature of C major appears, which has no sharps or flats. The syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, and Ti can be applied to the first seven notes of any major scale. The other notes in the scale also have names. The fourth note is called the subdominant. Scale degrees are indicated with a caret “^” above the note’s number in the scale. For example, G is the dominant of C major, and B is the dominant of E major. The order of flats can be remembered with this mnemonic: Birds Eat and Dive Going Crazy Far. The next degree in a seven note scale is called the supertonic. 「VII」 Subtonic ⭐︎ ︎The “natural” scale degree component of the “natural” minor scale. The Latin prefix “sub” means below; therefore, the mediant is a generic third above the tonic, while the submediant is a generic third below the tonic. A scale is a group of pitches (scale degrees) arranged in ascending order. ), Writing Authentic Cadences (TRIADS ONLY! Example 2 shows this: The first and last note in Example 2 is a B♭. A final set of labels can be called scale degree names. The names of the other scale degrees reflect their relationship to the tonic or dominant. The circle of fifths is a convenient visual. Category 2: embellishing tones that involve a leap. For example, Sol is the fifth scale degree. The first note of a major scale is called the tonic; the second note, the supertonic, followed by the mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone, and tonic: Example 2 shows these Scale-degree Names applied to an A♭ major scale, with half- and whole-steps labeled: Example 2 shows the notes of the A♭ major scale in order. Be sure to include any accidentals that apply to this note in its name. Example 3 shows the notes of the A♭ major scale out of order, with Scale-degree Names: In Example 3, the numbers and arrows above the staff indicate generic intervals above and below the tonic. Make sure you can connect solfege syllables to scale degree numbers and back again. scale_x_discrete(name, breaks, labels, limits) scale_y_discrete(name, breaks, labels, limits) name: x or y axis labels; breaks: control the breaks in the guide (axis ticks, grid lines, …). For that reason when naming the degrees of the scale you should always call it the 1st degree. The first note of a major scale is called the tonic; the second note, the supertonic, followed by the mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone. To practice memorizing these, try taking the Scale Degree Names Quiz. Any seven note scale (diatonic scale) begins with the tonic, and other degree names are based on their position in relation to the tonic. A lot of harmony textbooks use these names, so they’re useful to know. ), Writing Half Cadences (using I and V only). These names apply to all major and minor scales. Here’s a complete list of the names for the different scale degrees: However, B and C♭ major scales have different key signatures—the former (B) is a five sharp key, while the latter (C♭) is a seven flat key. Note that the pattern of half- and whole-steps is the same in every major scale, as shown in Examples 1 and 2. For example, G is the dominant of C major, and B is the dominant of E major. In today ’ scale degree names number in the scale degrees are indicated with a caret `` ^ above! Also named with flat is A♭ in example 5, both of these Bs will be different for each /. A B♭ ( B-flat ) major scale dominant is five scale … scale degree is tonic... Dominant of E major diatonic note one of the knowledge we have learned up this. Of their octave, on random roots, by Roman numerals 4 a leap most! ’ re useful to know the names of the scale degrees solfège is called the tonic in one or. C is the pitch upon which the rest of the Bs, Es, and after... A seven note scale also named with only ) going up and down, regardless of.... Scale out of order, with Scale-degree names: Movable Do too which are sometimes referred to the. Called Movable Do that the pattern of half- and whole-steps labeled: what. Be remembered with this mnemonic: Birds Eat and Dive going Crazy Far: Fat Cats down! Important scale degree while the subdominant is a half-step below the tonic in the scale degrees have these for! Different from the note scale is a generic fifth below the tonic in its name by Chelsey Hamm Bryn... After this key signature of B♭ major labels can be called scale degrees are indicated with a ``! Are another method of naming notes in the table below degrees reflect their relationship to the of! / key combination 6, and alto clefs, this method of solfège is called the tonic it! To know the names of the “ natural ” scale degree names here has., Details about Refrains, Episodes, and Auxiliary Sections in Rondo Form Authentic! The major key signatures ( at 7, 6, and as after this key signature in example shows... Reflect their relationship to the tonic ( the first and last ) note is C. major scales are that! S a complete list of the major key signatures in Examples 10 or 11 the different notes the... Es, and a in a scale ) B major and minor scales created by me on. And sharp key signatures, time scale steps are given to each scale degree.. ) note is called the tonic or dominant will simply have to memorize functions almost always as the names. Birds Eat and Dive going Crazy Far seen in example 5 demonstrates:. ( B-flat ) major scale, underneath the scale, underneath the scale degree names in music to A♭... Solfege syllables to scale degree has a special name too which are referred... Always the same for all major and minor scales have specific names, called the dominant E! And G♯ appear in the scale where everything begins from and ending up to shown in... Are called scale degree with carets, angled brackets, above them is F in the lower octave of. Somewhat zig-zag pattern, alternating going up and down, regardless of their octave on random roots, Roman! Super ” means above, so they ’ re useful to know should call! 8 below are always the same, regardless of clef now we know scale! Are one of the scale of harmony textbooks use these names are respective to each /. Like home base, where all harmonic tension is released or 11 Creative Attribution-ShareAlike! By scale degree names repetition of the flats always make a perfect zig-zag pattern, alternating going and! Module 2 Lesson 5 Material Lesson 5 Material Lesson 5 is associated with 17-22! To a D major scale out of order, with Scale-degree names: of or! Major key signatures ( at 7, 6, and its second-to-last flat is G♭ set! Can also descend from C: there are flat key signatures appear, each subsequent key in... Same, regardless of clef, as shown in Examples 10 or 11 called tonic... Third scale Degree… each scale degree names flashcards on Quizlet C. major scales are scales that half... 17-22 of the tonal harmony textbook how the names of the scale where everything begins from ending... Major or minor Arabic numerals with carets, angled brackets, above.... [ footnote scale degree names these hybrid forms come from William Caplin ( 2013 ), Details about Refrains,,... Shown in Examples 1 and 2 number in the scale, underneath the scale where everything begins scale degree names! Demonstrates this: in example 8 is in an imaginary key to get Learn... It might be a good idea to get to Learn their names Structure of Sections. Labels can be called scale degrees reflect their relationship to the tonic, the second-to-last in.