Definition of Submediant
In music, the submediant is the sixth degree of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symmetrical to that of the mediant above. (See the figure in the Degree (music) article.)
In the movable do solfège system, the submediant is sung as la in a major mode, le or lo in do-based minor and fa in la-based minor. It is occasionally called superdominant, as the degree above the dominant. This is its normal name (sus-dominante) in French.
In Roman numeral analysis, the triad formed on the submediant is typically symbolized by "VI" if it is a major triad (the default in a minor mode) and by "vi" if it is a minor triad (the default in a major mode).
Terms mentioned above
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Frequently asked questions
What is Submediant?
In music, the submediant is the sixth degree of a diatonic scale. The submediant ("lower mediant") is named thus because it is halfway between the tonic and the subdominant ("lower dominant") or because its position below the tonic is symmetrical to that of…