Which scale degree is traditionally called the dominant?

• A. Tonic
• B. Dominant
• C. Mediant
• D. Leading tone

Answer: (B)

In tonal music, the dominant refers to the scale degree that sits a fifth above the tonic—the fifth degree of the scale. This degree earns its name because chords built on it (the V harmony) have the strongest tendency to resolve to the tonic, giving the music a clear push toward rest and a sense of closure when it arrives. The leading tone, by contrast, is the seventh degree and serves a related but distinct function by resolving upward to the tonic. The tonic is the first degree, and the mediant is the third. So, the fifth degree is the dominant.