Leading

1 (noun). Ina composition, the melodic progre ion of any part or parts.—2 (adjective). Principal, chief; guiding, directing... Leading-chord, the dominant chord, as leading into that of the tonic... Zeading melody, principal melody or theme... Leading-motive, see Leitmotiv...Leading-note, -tone (Ger. Leit'ton; Fr. note sensible; Ut. no’ta ‘sensi’bile), the 7th degree of the major and harmonic minor scales; so called because of its tendency, in certain melodic and chordal progre ions, to the tonic.