Brainlag Plus
Brainlag PlusTechnical names and the key of a melody
The technical names of the seven degrees of the scale, from tonic to leading note, and deciding which key a melody is in.
Seven names
Grade 4 adds a name for each degree of the scale:
| Degree | Technical name | In D major |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tonic | D |
| 2 | supertonic | E |
| 3 | mediant | F sharp |
| 4 | subdominant | G |
| 5 | dominant | A |
| 6 | submediant | B |
| 7 | leading note | C sharp |
Tip: the dominant is 5 above the tonic and the subdominant 5 below it. The mediant is halfway up to the dominant, the submediant halfway down to the subdominant. The supertonic sits just above the tonic, and the leading note just below, leading back up to it. In a minor key, the leading note is the raised 7th.
The rest of this lesson and its 5 practice questions are in Plus.
Screen 1 of 4, free to read.
- 5 exam-style questions, marked as you go, each with a worked solution
- Anything you get wrong is saved to your flashcards