Subtonic is used in the natural minor scale when the 7th degree is a whole step below tonic. This note is unstable because it wants to go to tonic. Leading tone is used in scales where there is a half step between the 7th scale degree and tonic. The name used depends on which scale is being used The seventh scale degree actually has two names.Submediant is also the lower mediant because it is halfway in between subdominant and upper tonic.This is the other note that is commonly called by it's scale name. Dominant is called so because it is the second most important function wise after tonic.But if the scale is ascending it is a fourth up from tonic and doesn't hold as much importance as the dominant.

Subdominant is also called the lower dominant because it is a 5th down from the upper tonic (the tonic at the top of the scale).Mediant is midway (or the median for math nerds) in between tonic and dominant.Just remember that supertonic is AFTER or ABOVE tonic. This is possibly the easiest note in a scale to remember because it is one of two notes most often called by it's scale name. Most often music ends on tonic because it's a good resting point and gives a sense of finality. It is the tonal center and is the most stable note. Because of this, it is important to memorize the names of each note. Each note in the diatonic scale leads to another or gives finality. These two instances are confusing because they are the only two instances when two white keys are next to each other.ĭiatonic scales have a mix of half and whole step and occasionally a step and a half. In both of these instances, they are a HALF step away. Most students believe E and F, and B and C are whole steps away, but they are NOT. A common mistake students make with half and whole steps is between E and F, and B and C. If you were to go from one key, skip a key, then the next would be a whole step away from the starting key. A whole step is the two half steps combined. If you look at the keyboard above, a half step is the distance between any two adjacent keys whether they are black or white. A half step is the smallest distance between two notes in western music.

D flat major scale ascending