What is the mediant in music theory?
Abigail Rogers
Updated on April 24, 2026
) of a diatonic scale, being the note halfway between the tonic and the dominant. The term mediant also refers to a relationship of musical keys. For example, relative to the key of A minor, the key of C major is the mediant, and it often serves as a mid-way point between I and V (hence the name).
What degree is mediant in music?
Scale degree names
| Degree | Name | Note (in C major) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tonic | C |
| 2 | Supertonic | D |
| 3 | Mediant | E |
| 4 | Subdominant | F |
What is tonic in music theory?
tonic, also called keynote, in music, the first note (degree) of any diatonic (e.g., major or minor) scale. It is the most important degree of the scale, serving as the focus for both melody and harmony.
What is mediant and Submediant?
Mediant: is the degree that is halfway between the tonic and the dominant, hence the name “mediant” (medium, middle). Subdominant: the term “sub” means “below” or “what comes before”. In practice, it is what comes before the dominant. Submediant: is halfway between the subdominant and the upper tonic.
What is tonic Supertonic mediant?
The third note is called the mediant since it is in the middle of the tonic and dominant. Likewise, the sixth note is called the submediant since it is in the middle of the upper tonic and subdominant. The second note is called the supertonic. Super is Latin for “above”.
What is the meaning of mediant?
Definition of mediant : the third tone of a major or minor scale.
What is tonic supertonic mediant?
Why is it called sub mediant?
The term mediant appeared in English in 1753 to refer to the note “midway between the tonic and the dominant”. The term submediant must have appeared soon after to similarly denote the note midway between the tonic and the subdominant. The German word Untermediante is found in 1771.
How do you get tonic?
We can find the tonic at the beginning of the melody, but also at the end of it. A common practice is to extract the scale of the melody. When no other pitch seems to stand out with the stability of the tonic, take the last note and arrange the other notes after it in ascending order. The first step is the tonic.
What is the function of mediant?
The mediant chord functions as a very weak pre-dominant — so weak that it almost always leads to stronger pre-dominant chords, rarely progressing directly to V. One of its most important uses is to harmonize 7 as it descends in the melody.
What is the meaning of Supertonic?
Definition of supertonic : the second tone of a major or minor scale.
What is the mediant and supertonic note?
The third note is called the mediant since it is in the middle of the tonic and dominant. Likewise, the sixth note is called the submediant since it is in the middle of the upper tonic and subdominant. The second note is called the supertonic. Super is Latin for “above”.
What are mediants in music composition?
If we started on the tonic, then scale steps three and six (that’s three scale steps down from the tonic) become your mediants. Usually, a major triad has two minor triads as mediants and the other way around. Mediants are easy-to-use yet powerful building blocks in composition as they can reinforce a tonal center or even modulate to new ones.
What are the degrees of tonic?
Within a scale, we can give the following nomenclature to degrees: 1 st degree: tonic 2 nd degree: supertonic 3 rd degree: mediant 4 th degree: subdominant 5 th degree: dominant 6 th degree: submediant 7 th degree: leading-tone
What does medmediant mean in music?
Mediant: is the degree that is halfway between the tonic and the dominant, hence the name “mediant” (medium, middle). Subdominant: the term “sub” means “below” or “what comes before”. In practice, it is what comes before the dominant. Submediant: is halfway between the subdominant and the upper tonic.
