Scales

A scale is a group of notes that are arranged by ascending or descending order of pitch. You can think of a scale climbing the rungs of the ladder which is represented by the stave.

You have to have a note on every single line or space. Each degree of the scale has a special name:

1st degree: the tonic
2nd degree: the supertonic
3rd degree: the mediant
4th degree: the subdominant
5th degree: the dominant
6th degree: the submediant
7th degree: the leading note (or leading tone)

The 8th degree of the scale is actually the same as the first, just an octave higher. For that reason when naming the degrees of the scale, you should always just call it the 1st degree.

The different modes of Music are:

The Ionian Mode
The Dorian Mode
The Phrygian Mode
The Lydian Mode
The Mixolydian Mode
The Aeolian Mode
The Locrian Mode