Degrees of the scale

Numbered from 1

Each note of a scale is a degree, numbered from the first note. The first note is the 1st degree, the next the 2nd, and so on. The 8th is the first note again an octave higher.

Worked example: find a degree

Which note is the 6th degree of F major?

1. Write the scale from F: F, G, A, B flat, C, D.
2. Count them: F is the 1st, so the 6th is D.

Always start counting from the first note of the scale as 1, not 0.

Remember

• Each note of a scale is a degree.
• The first note is the 1st. The 8th is the first note an octave higher.
• Count from the first note as 1.