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I'm using the Alain Benbassat method for ear training: Listening to major scale notes in the context of the scale (e.g. after hearing I-IV-V-I) and trying to hear the scale degree.

I keep reading and hearing about the different "feelings" of the scale degrees. This is what I associate to the major scale degrees:

  • 1: very stable / boring
  • 2: unstable/dissonant, wants to move down
  • 3: ?
  • 4: ?
  • 5: stable
  • 6: ?
  • 7: unstable/dissonant, wants to move up
  • 8: very stable

I understand that it's hard to put words on the feelings, but I think it would be beneficial to my learning to hear a bit about what more experienced musicians and people without atrocious sense of pitch associate to the scale degrees, or what the "generally accepted" ideas are.

What feelings or words are associated to the different major scale degrees?

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  • I think you meant "7: unstable/dissonant, wants to move UP" – Tim H Oct 31 '18 at 12:45
  • Don't really agree with many of the 'feelings', but none of the notes evoke any special ones for me. – Tim Oct 31 '18 at 15:45
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These are my own thoughts,

1: more stable, complete, relaxed, rest, sleep, old, calm, still

2: unstable, tensed, unrest, going somewhere unknown, sick but all right, rejoice, go out, faith

3: little stable, energy, try new things in comfort zone, loud, young, working, helping

4: little unstable, lifting to fly/swim, going to either relax or to enjoy, thrill, moody, matured, listening

5: stable, flying, climax, about to burst or rest, jump up, shout, teenage, togetherness

6: suspense, unknown, slow, something wrong, puzzled or about to worry/fear, about to try new things, looking for confident/kind/help, sad, sick, wonder, thinking of what went wrong,

7: more unstable, wants to move up, going home, can't wait, sure of something, go back, just a little more, hope, only hope,

8: same as of 1

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