online vocabulary.com

Submediant - Meaning, Definition & English Examples

The submediant is the sixth degree of a musical scale, located midway between the tonic and subdominant. It often provides a soft, stable harmony in chord progressions.

submediant

/sʌbˈmidiənt/ /sʌbˈmiːdiənt/

Definition:

The sixth note of a diatonic scale or the chord built on this note.

Synonyms:

superdominant, sixth degree, VI chord

Part of Speech:

noun

Antonyms:

tonic, dominant

Common Collocations:

submediant chord, submediant key, submediant modulation

Derivatives:

submediants, submediantly

Usage Tips:

Use "submediant" to refer to the sixth scale degree or its chord in music theory contexts.

Common Phrases:

submediant harmony, submediant shift, submediant resolution

Etymology:

From Latin "sub-" (below) + "mediant" (middle), referring to its position below the mediant in the scale.

Examples:

  • 1. The submediant adds depth to harmonic progressions.
  • 2. In C major, the submediant is A natural.
  • 3. The composer used a submediant modulation for contrast.
  • 4. Play the submediant chord softly here for effect.

MORE VOCABULARY LISTS