Submediant
The submediant is the triad on the sixth degree of a key, in C major so A–C–E (Am). It is the relative minor of the tonic, shares two of its three notes and can stand in for it. That makes it the chord of the deceptive cadence and a building block of the most-played pop progressions.
- Degree
- vi (in major)
- In C major
- Am, A–C–E
- Function
- tonic substitute
- Church mode
- Aeolian
- Counterpart
- mediant (iii)
The tonic's stand-in
The page Diatonic chords describes degree vi (Am in C major) as the tonic substitute: it can stand in for the tonic because it shares two notes with it, and it brings a softer colour with it. On the page Circle of fifths Am appears in the table of diatonic chords with the function submediant and the church mode Aeolian.
| Degree | Chord in C major | Notes | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | C–E–G | tonic |
| vi | Am | A–C–E | tonic substitute (submediant) |
The deceptive cadence
The move V – vi instead of V – I is the classic deceptive cadence. The dominant builds tension, but instead of the tonic its substitute sounds, as the page Cadences describes. The phrase carries on because the ear is still waiting for the real resolution.
Building block of pop progressions
The article One pattern predicts the chords of almost any pop song names the sixth degree as one of the four load-bearing chords. The relative minor of the first degree shares two of three notes with it and can stand in for the tonic without losing the connection, but brings a different colour. From this come I – V – vi – IV and vi – IV – I – V.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
MediantDeceptive cadenceDiatonic chordFunctional theoryTonicAeolianMinor triad
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 3 October 2026
← Back to the glossary