Now that we have introduced all of the modes, let's look at what roles individual notes take in these scales. In a tonal context, they all have certain tendencies. Stable Tones: (1,3,5) Tonic: The tonic is the 1st degree of the scale. All other notes are based around the tonic and gravitate towards it. Dominant: The dominant is the 5th degree. This is a solid or stable note. Third degree: The 3rd degree is stable; however, it is not as stable as the tonic or the … [Read more...]