Submediant
Tonal degree of the diatonic scale / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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")[1] or because its position below the tonic is symmetrical to that of the mediant above.[2] (See the figure in the Degree (music) article.)
![\n{\n\\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f\n\\relative c' {\n \\clef treble\n \\time 7/4 c4 d e f g \\once \\override NoteHead.color = #red a b \\time 2/4 c2 \\bar "||"\n \\time 4/4 <a c e>1 \\bar "||"\n} }\n](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/p/u/puyuag1wz4rc7lz6mm4eipz9fmsnnzj/puyuag1w.png)
![\n{\n\\override Score.TimeSignature #'stencil = ##f\n\\relative c' {\n \\clef treble\n \\time 7/4 c4 d es f g \\once \\override NoteHead.color = #red aes bes \\time 2/4 c2 \\bar "||"\n \\time 4/4 <aes c es>1 \\bar "||"\n} }\n](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/b/u/bu3tabdwy2kpytnocylcyulmuyiei7m/bu3tabdw.png)
In the movable do solfège system, the submediant is sung as la in a major mode and fa in a minor mode. It is occasionally called superdominant,[3] 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).
The term submediant may also refer to a relationship of musical keys. For example, relative to the key of C major, the key of A minor is the submediant. In a major key, the submediant key is the relative minor. Modulation (change of key) to the submediant is relatively rare, compared with modulation to the dominant in a major key or modulation to the mediant in a minor key.