How to use the scale degree quiz
- Pick a key from the list. All 12 major keys and 12 minor keys are included.
- For a minor key, choose natural or harmonic minor.
- Choose a question type: name the note for a degree, name the degree for a note, or name the solfege syllable.
- Press Start round. Each round has ten questions.
- Answer with a tap or the number keys 1 to 7 (1 to 4 for note questions). Press Enter for the next question.
After every answer the scale appears note by note on the staff, with the asked degree outlined, and all eight notes light up on the keyboard. Score, streak and time per question are shown at the end of the round. Nothing is stored after you close the page.
Scale degrees and what they are called
| Degree | Name | Major scale on C | Natural minor on A |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | C | A |
| 2 | Supertonic | D | B |
| 3 | Mediant | E | C |
| 4 | Subdominant | F | D |
| 5 | Dominant | G | E |
| 6 | Submediant | A | F |
| 7 | Leading tone (subtonic in natural minor) | B | G |
Each degree takes the next letter name, so a seven-note scale uses every letter once. That is why the fourth degree of F sharp major is B and not A sharp, and why the seventh degree of G sharp harmonic minor is F double sharp.
Movable-do solfege
In movable do, the tonic is always do, whatever the key. Major reads do re mi fa sol la ti. Natural minor in do-based solfege reads do re me fa sol le te, where the vowel change marks a lowered degree. Harmonic minor raises the seventh degree back to ti. In la-based minor the tonic is la, and the raised seventh of harmonic minor becomes the chromatic syllable si.
Common questions
What is the difference between natural and harmonic minor?
Natural minor uses the same notes as its relative major, starting on the sixth degree. Harmonic minor raises the seventh degree by a semitone, which creates a leading tone a half step below the tonic. The quiz lets you switch between the two.
Why does the quiz spell F double sharp instead of G?
Because a scale uses one letter name per degree. In G sharp harmonic minor the seventh degree must be an F, raised twice to reach the pitch that sounds like G. The answer checks the spelling, not just the sound.
Should I learn do-based or la-based minor?
Either is used in teaching. Do-based minor keeps do as the tonic in every key and changes the vowels of lowered degrees. La-based minor treats the minor scale as a rotation of the relative major. The quiz offers both so you can match your teacher or choir.
How do I get faster at naming scale degrees?
Short daily rounds in one key at a time work well. Learn the key signature first, then drill degrees 3, 6 and 7, which change between major and minor. Move to a new key when you answer eight or more of ten correctly.
Sources
- Open Music Theory: Major scales and scale degrees — Scale degree numbers, names and major scale construction.
- Open Music Theory: Minor scales — Natural, harmonic and melodic minor.
- Solfege, reference article — Fixed and movable do, chromatic syllables.
- Scale degree, reference article — Names of the seven degrees.