Scale Degrees & Solfège
The seven degrees of a major scale, their solfège names and function.
Degree reference
| Degree | Solfège | Name | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do | Tonic | Home - where everything resolves |
| 2 | Re | Supertonic | A step above home |
| 3 | Mi | Mediant | Sets major vs. minor colour |
| 4 | Fa | Subdominant | Leans away from home |
| 5 | Sol | Dominant | Strongest pull back to Do |
| 6 | La | Submediant | Relative minor's home note |
| 7 | Ti | Leading tone | One step from Do, wants to resolve up |
Worth remembering
- Ti wants to resolve up to Do - that pull is why it's called the "leading" tone.
- Sol -> Do is the strongest resolution in tonal music - the backbone of a V-I cadence.
- The relative minor of any major key starts on its 6th degree (La).
Major scale steps
| Degree | Solfège | Step from previous |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do | - |
| 2 | Re | Whole |
| 3 | Mi | Whole |
| 4 | Fa | Half |
| 5 | Sol | Whole |
| 6 | La | Whole |
| 7 | Ti | Whole |
| 8 | Do | Half |
Natural minor scale steps
| Degree | Solfège (natural minor) | Step from previous |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Do | - |
| 2 | Re | Whole |
| 3 | Me | Half |
| 4 | Fa | Whole |
| 5 | Sol | Whole |
| 6 | Le | Half |
| 7 | Te | Whole |
| 8 | Do | Whole |
Major vs. natural minor
- Major's whole/half-step pattern is Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Whole-Half.
- Natural minor's is Whole-Half-Whole-Whole-Half-Whole-Whole - the half-steps land two degrees earlier.
- Only the 3rd, 6th and 7th degrees actually move between the two (Mi/Me, La/Le, Ti/Te) - Do, Re, Fa and Sol stay the same either way.