The submediant corresponds to which scale degree?

• A. Scale degree vii
• B. Scale degree ii
• C. Scale degree vi
• D. Scale degree iii

Answer: (C)

The submediant is the sixth scale degree. In a diatonic scale, the degrees go 1 through 7: tonic, supertonic, mediant, subdominant, dominant, submediant, leading tone. So the submediant corresponds to scale degree six. In functional terms, the triad built on that degree is labeled vi. The other names point to different degrees (leading tone is seventh, supertonic is second, mediant is third), so they don’t match the submediant.