In the key of C major, what is the leading tone?

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Multiple Choice

In the key of C major, what is the leading tone?

The leading tone is the note a half step below the tonic, creating a strong pull up to the tonic. In C major, the scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, so the seventh degree is B, which sits a half step below C. That makes B natural the leading tone, driving the resolution to C and giving that characteristic sense of arrival. The other notes don’t serve this pull: A is the submediant, C is the tonic itself, and G is the dominant, each with different functions.

The leading tone is the note a half step below the tonic, creating a strong pull up to the tonic. In C major, the scale is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C, so the seventh degree is B, which sits a half step below C. That makes B natural the leading tone, driving the resolution to C and giving that characteristic sense of arrival. The other notes don’t serve this pull: A is the submediant, C is the tonic itself, and G is the dominant, each with different functions.

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