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In music theory, a leading-tone (called the leading-note outside the US) is a note or pitch which is resolves or "leads" to a note one semitone higher or lower, being an lower and upper leading-tone, respectively.

According to Ernst Kurth (1913) the major and minor thirds contain "latent" tendencies towards the perfect fourth and whole-tone , respectively, and thus establishe tonality. However, Carl Dahlhaus (1990) shows that this drive is in fact created through or with harmonic function, a root progression in another voice by a whole-tone or fifth, or melodically ( monophonically) by the context of the scale. For example, the leading tone of alternating C chordChords Generally speaking, a major chord is any chord which has a major third above its root, as opposed to a minor chord which has a minor third. More specifically, it is the three-note chord made up of a major third and perfect fifth above the root if t and F minor chordChords Generally speaking, a minor chord is any chord which has a minor third above its root, as opposed to a major chord which has a major third. More specifically, it is the three-note chord made up of a minor third and perfect fifth above the root if ts is either the note E leading to F, if f is tonicTonic may mean: A concept from musical harmony and musical theory: see Tonic (music); A carbonated beverage flavoured with quinine, used in cocktails: see Tonic water. A usually liquid drug given to improve health; A patent medicine that claims to have to, or Ab leading to G, if C is tonic. In the 14th and 15th centuries, the leading-tone is created by the progression from imperfect to perfect consonanceConsonance is a stylistic device, often used in poetry. It is the repetition of consonant sounds in a short sequence of words, for example, the "t" sound in "Is i t blun t and fla t " Alliteration differs from consonance insofar as alliteration requires ts, such as a major third to a perfect fifth or minor third to a unisonIn music, a unison is an interval, the ratio of 1:1 or 0 halfsteps and zero cents. Two tones in unison are considered to be the same pitch, but are still perceivable as coming from separate sources. The unison is considered the most consonant interval whi. The same pitch outside of the imperfect consonance is not a leading tone.

As a diatonic function the leading-tone is the seventh scale degree of any diatonic scaleIn Music theory, the diatonic major scale is a fundamental building block of the Western musical tradition. It contains seven notes to the octave, corresponding to the white keys on a piano, obtained from a chain of six successive fifths in some version o when the distance between it and the tonicThe tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. The triad formed on the tonic note, the tonic chord, is thus the most important chord. More generally, the tonic is the pitch upon whic is a single semitone. In diatonic scales where there is a whole tone between the seventh scale degree and the tonic, such as the Mixolydian mode, the note is called the sub-tonic.