What are the technical names for the different degrees of the musical scale?
The technical names for the different degrees of the musical scale are:
- Tonic: The first degree of the scale, which gives the scale its name and serves as the home pitch or key center.
- Supertonic: The second degree of the scale, which is a whole step above the tonic.
- Mediant: The third degree of the scale, which is a whole step above the supertonic.
- Subdominant: The fourth degree of the scale, which is a whole step above the mediant and is considered to be a stable point of rest in Western music.
- Dominant: The fifth degree of the scale, which is a whole step above the subdominant and is considered to be the most important after the tonic.
- Submediant: The sixth degree of the scale, which is a whole step above the dominant.
- Leading tone or Leading note: The seventh degree of the scale, which is a half step below the tonic and creates a strong pull towards the tonic. In some scales, this degree is a whole step below the tonic and is called the subtonic.
In some musical traditions, there may be additional degrees, such as the flatted seventh degree in blues music, or microtonal scales that use intervals smaller than a half step.
The seven technical names for the degrees of the musical scale are tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone or leading note.
The tonic is the first degree of the musical scale and serves as the home pitch or key center. It gives the scale its name and is often considered the most important pitch in a piece of music.
The subdominant is the fourth degree of the musical scale and is considered to be a stable point of rest in Western music. It is a whole step above the mediant and often creates a sense of tension that resolves to the dominant.
The dominant is the fifth degree of the musical scale and is considered to be the most important pitch after the tonic. It is a whole step above the subdominant and often creates a sense of tension that resolves back to the tonic.
The leading tone, also known as the leading note, is the seventh degree of the musical scale and creates a strong pull towards the tonic. It is a half step below the tonic and often used to create a sense of resolution and finality in Western music.
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