Scale Degree Resource List

This page is a list of excerpts, to be used as a resource for teachers and professors, illustrating scale degrees.
Also see the page for practicing the identification of scale degree.

TONIC

End of excerpt
Beginning and end
- Handel: Introduction to "Hallelujah" from Messiah
- Bach: Brandenberg Concerto No. 5: I
Beginning of excerpt
Raised tonic
- Mozart: Piano Concerto No.21: II

SUPERTONIC

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- Tchaikovsky: Overture to The Nutcracker Suite Clear tonic
- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: II First note tonic
- Dvorak: New World Symphony: II
- Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
- Schumann: "Hunting Song" from Album for the Young
- Foster: "Gentle Annie" performed by Dear Friends
Beginning of excerpt
Low supertonic
- Saint-Saens: Danse Macabre
Raised supertonic

MEDIANT

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Beginning and end
- Offenbach: Barcarole
Beginning of excerpt
Low mediant
Picardy third
- Vaughan Willians: Fantasia on "Greensleeves"
- Attributed to Bach: Toccata in D Minor
- Orff: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana
- Bach: Prelude in C Minor from The Well Tempered Clavier David Moroney, Harpsichord

SUBDOMINANT

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- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: I Clear tonic
- Bizet: Habanera from Carmen Clear tonic
- Beethoven: Symphony No.1, IV
- Delibes: Flower Duet from Lakme
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Beginning of excerpt
Raised subdominant

DOMINANT

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- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Clear tonic
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, I Clear tonic
- Haydn: String Quartet in A Op. 55, No. 1: II
- Haydn: String Quartet in D Op. 64, No. 5, "The Lark": II
- Verdi: "La donna e mobile" from Rigoletto
- Vivaldi: Spring: I from The Four Seasons
- Bach: Air from Orchestral Suite in D
- Foster: "Cora Dean" performed by "Dear Friends"
- Chopin: Fantaisie Op. 49
- Chopin: Ballade Op. 47, No. 30
Beginning of excerpt

SUBMEDIANT

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Beginning of excerpt
Low submediant in minor
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- Beginning of excerpt
  - Gounod: Funeral March for Marionettes
  - Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G Minor: I
Raised submediant in minor
- End of excerpt
  - Burgmuller: Ballade from Op. 100

SUBTONIC

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- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik: II Clear tonic
- Chopin: Marche Funebre
- Tchaikovsky: Arabian Dance from The Nutcracker Suite highest notes near end of excerpt
Beginning of excerpt
- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue

LEADING TONE

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- Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik Clear tonic
- Bizet: Torreador from Carmen Clear tonic
- Tchaikovsky: Waltz from The Nutcracker Suite
- Tchaikovsky: Overture to The Nutcracker Suite
- Albinoni: Adagio
Beginning of excerpt

SERIES OF SCALE DEGREES

Beethoven: Symphony No.1, IV 3, 2, 4, 1, 7, 1
Offenbach: from Orpheus in Hades 3, 1, 6, and 5 repeated four times.
Vivaldi: Winter: II: from The Four Seasons. Excerpt 1. 5, 6, 7, 1 at the end of each short phrase.
Vivaldi: Winter: II: from The Four Seasons. Excerpt 2. 6, 7, 1, 7 preceding each scale and at end of excerpt.
Vivaldi: Spring: I: from The Four Seasons. In bass: 5, 4, 3, 4, raised 4, 5, raised 5, 6.