Re: Question re degrees of the scale (and my intro to this group)

"Dylan" <DDawson72@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
news:19bebb90-3d16-47c7-8926-
>
> Q: The degrees of the scale are described here as steps above/below
> the tonic, why does this conflict with my thinking that tonic is the
> first note of the scale? Isn't sub-dominant the middle note in the
> scale?


It works like this Dylan:

Super means above, Sub means below. Un-modified means above as well.

The Tonic is the first note of the scale, for example:
C

The Dominant is ABOVE the Tonic:

G
C

The SUB-Dominant is the same distance (a 5th) BELOW the Tonic:

G
C
F

The Mediant is half-way between the Tonic and Dominant (median means
middle, 
like the median in the middle of the road):
G
E
C
F

The SUB-Mediant is half-way between the Tonic and SUB-Dominant:
G
E
C
A
F

And the Super Tonic and Sub Tonic are above and below the Tonic, 
respectively:
G
E
D
C
B
A
F

That's how they got their names (or at least why the "Sub" ones are called

that when otherwise, it seems illogical).

We call notes that are a half step below the Tonic the Leading Tone
instead 
of the Sub Tonic to highlight its function. So scale degree 7 in Major,
and 
raised scale degree 7 in minor are both called the Leading Tone in their 
respective keys/scales. When you use the "natural" 7 in minor (the one
that 
goes with the key signature, that is a whole step below the Tonic), it's 
called the Sub-Tonic.

HTH,
Steve