Leading note
The seventh degree of a major or harmonic minor scale, a semitone below the tonic.
Category
keys
Origin
English
Length
193 words · 1 min read
About Leading note
The leading note (or leading tone) is the seventh scale degree when it sits a semitone below the tonic — as it does in major scales and harmonic minor scales. Its defining characteristic is a powerful tendency to resolve upward to the tonic, creating a sense of inevitability and arrival.
More keys terms
Circle of Fifths
View all keysterms →A diagram arranging all twelve major and minor keys by ascending perfect fifths, showing their key-signature relationships.
TranspositionMoving a passage of music up or down in pitch by a fixed interval
Relative keyA major and minor key that share the same key signature but have different tonics.
TonicThe first and most important note of a key, serving as the central point of rest and resolution.
DiatonicPertaining to the seven notes of a major or natural minor scale without chromatic alteration.
Synonyms
Compare with similar terms
v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →