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Hello, this is Terry Ewell and welcome to this quick video on scale degrees.
Now, often we represent scale degrees with numbers and on top of the numbers is what we call a caret “^.” Obviously, this is scale degree 1, 2, 3, etc. up to scale degree 7 and then scale degree 8 reverts back to scale degree 1. It is the same note name in this scale. By scale we could mean a major scale or a minor scale. It is the division of the octave into seven different parts.
Here we have a scale degree starting on C natural, C major. But of course, we can have scale degrees starting on different pitches. Here we have the bass clef, in D major. Here this scale starts on D.
Now the two most important scale degrees you need to know about are the tonic, which is the first scale degree (or the 8th or the 1st) and the dominant. The dominant scale degree is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 steps above. That is the dominant scale degree there.
Now we have divided the scale degrees into mirror images. You have the tonic. The Dominant is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 above. Then we have a subdominant. “Sub” meaning below like “submarine”: below the ocean. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 so you have a dominant and a subdominant.
Similarly, we also have the mediant which is 1, 2, 3 steps above and the submediant which is 1, 2, 3 steps below. We have the mediant and submediant and the dominant and subdominant.
So, here we have all of the scale degrees laid out for you. Tonic, supertonic—super meaning above, above the tonic. Mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, and leading tone. This tone usually leads us to the tonic.
So, I have that this has been a useful overview for you. Bye.