Which term describes the second scale degree?

Which term describes the second scale degree?

• A. The supertonic
• B. The subdominant
• C. The dominant
• D. The mediant

Answer: (A)

The second scale degree is called the supertonic. This name comes from how the note sits relative to the tonic—the pitch that lies just above the tonic in the scale. For example, in C major the tonic is C and the second degree is D, so D is the supertonic. Other terms describe different positions: the mediant is the third degree, the subdominant is the fourth, and the dominant is the fifth. The supertonic’s label highlights its role as the immediate neighbor above the tonic, and it’s also the degree that commonly forms the ii chord in diatonic harmony.

The second scale degree is called the supertonic. This name comes from how the note sits relative to the tonic—the pitch that lies just above the tonic in the scale. For example, in C major the tonic is C and the second degree is D, so D is the supertonic. Other terms describe different positions: the mediant is the third degree, the subdominant is the fourth, and the dominant is the fifth. The supertonic’s label highlights its role as the immediate neighbor above the tonic, and it’s also the degree that commonly forms the ii chord in diatonic harmony.