Harmony
Scale degree
A scale degree is a note's position in a scale, numbered 1 to 7 from the tonic: in G major, G is degree 1, D is degree 5 and F# is degree 7.
What is a scale degree?
Number the notes of a scale from its first note and you have its degrees. In G major, G is 1, A is 2, B is 3 and so on up to F#, the 7. Each degree also has a name that describes its job:
| Degree | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | tonic | supertonic | mediant | subdominant | dominant | submediant | leading tone |
| In G major | G | A | B | C | D | E | F# |
The tonic is the point of rest, the dominant the point of tension, and the leading tone the note that pulls up a half step into the tonic.
Scale degrees in major and minor
Degrees are always measured against the major scale. In natural minor, three of them are lowered: A minor is 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (A B C D E F G).
The seventh degree changes name accordingly: a whole step below the tonic (G in A minor) it is called the subtonic; raised a half step (G#, in harmonic minor) it becomes the leading tone again. That G# is what turns Em into E in an A minor cadence.
How do you find scale degrees on the fretboard?
Start from a root on the 6th string, say G at the 3rd fret:
- 2 (A): 6th string, 5th fret
- 3 (B): 5th string, 2nd fret
- 4 (C): 5th string, 3rd fret
- 5 (D): 5th string, 5th fret
- 6 (E): 4th string, 2nd fret
- 7 (F#): 4th string, 4th fret
- 8 (G): 4th string, 5th fret
The pattern is movable: slide it to the 5th fret for A major, to the 8th for C major. Exercise: play 1-3-5-8, then 1-2-3, then 5-6-7-8, saying the numbers out loud. Within a week you will find the third without thinking.
Note degrees vs chord degrees
Notes are numbered in Arabic numerals (1, b3, 5), chords in Roman numerals (I, ii, V). The chord built on degree 5 of G major is D, written V; the one on degree 6 is Em, written vi. All of Roman numeral analysis rests on this, and the seven diatonic chords of a key are simply the chords on its seven degrees.
The practical gain: a 3-2-1 melody stays 3-2-1 in every key (B A G in G, E D C in C). To see progressions sorted by style and written in Roman numerals, browse the chord progressions library.
Key takeaways
- Scale degree = a note's position in the scale, from 1 (tonic) to 7.
- Key names: tonic (1), subdominant (4), dominant (5), leading tone (7).
- Natural minor: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7.
- Arabic numerals for notes, Roman numerals for chords.
- Thinking in degrees makes every idea transposable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fifth scale degree of C major?
G, the dominant. The chord built on it is G, or G7 with the seventh, written V or V7.
What is the difference between the leading tone and the subtonic?
Both are the seventh degree. The leading tone sits a half step below the tonic (B in C major) and pulls toward it; the subtonic sits a whole step below (Bb in C natural minor) and has no such pull.
Why learn scale degrees instead of note names?
Because a degree describes a function that holds in every key. If you know a solo aims at the third of each chord, you can play it in G, in A or with a capo without relearning it.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.