Scale Degrees & Their Names
Every note in a scale has both a number and a traditional name that describes its job. Click through them below, then quiz yourself.
A number and a name
Counting up from the tonic (1st degree), each note of the scale gets a number — but musicians also use traditional names that describe each degree's function, which is far more useful once you start analyzing harmony.
| Degree | Name | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | Home base — everything resolves here |
| 2 | Supertonic | One step above the tonic |
| 3 | Mediant | Midway between tonic and dominant; sets major/minor quality |
| 4 | Subdominant | Pulls gently away from home |
| 5 | Dominant | Strong tension that wants to resolve to the tonic |
| 6 | Submediant | Midway below the tonic (an octave up); the relative minor's home |
| 7 | Leading tone | A half step below the tonic; leans hard back up to it |
Common questions
What are scale degrees?
Numbers 1-7 assigned to each scale note based on its position above the tonic.
Why do scale degrees have names instead of just numbers?
The names describe each degree's musical function and pull, more useful than a bare number.
Which scale degree matters most after the tonic?
The dominant (5th) — it creates the strongest pull back to the tonic.
What is the leading tone?
The 7th degree, a half step below the tonic, which strongly leads back up to it.
See degrees light up as you play
Melody Monkey labels every scale degree live on your instrument.
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