Which pitch is normally repeated at the end of a scale?

Which pitch is normally repeated at the end of a scale?

• A. The last pitch
• B. The fifth pitch
• C. The second pitch
• D. The first pitch

Answer: (D)

When a scale finishes, the ear expects a sense of homecoming by returning to the tonal center. After ascending, you land on the octave of the starting note, so the same pitch name as the first pitch is heard again. That repetition of the tonic gives the scale a clear, resolved feel. So the pitch normally repeated at the end is the first pitch—the tonic, repeated at the octave. The ending note isn’t about repeating a different degree like the fifth or the second; it’s about reaffirming the key center by hearing the tonic again.

When a scale finishes, the ear expects a sense of homecoming by returning to the tonal center. After ascending, you land on the octave of the starting note, so the same pitch name as the first pitch is heard again. That repetition of the tonic gives the scale a clear, resolved feel. So the pitch normally repeated at the end is the first pitch—the tonic, repeated at the octave. The ending note isn’t about repeating a different degree like the fifth or the second; it’s about reaffirming the key center by hearing the tonic again.