Minor sixth

Darker than the major sixth

On the page Intervals the minor sixth is described as the favourite interval of Romanticism: Brahms, Schumann and Tchaikovsky use it to express painful longing or unrequited love. It is also often used in film music to underscore emotional climaxes or tender love scenes.

As well-known examples of an ascending minor sixth, ear-training overviews name the introduction of “In My Life” (The Beatles) and the line with the word “fire” in “We Are Young” (fun.).

On the guitar and in the harmonic series

At about 5/8 of the string length the minor sixth sounds. On the guitar that is eight frets apart, on the high E string at the 8th fret C sounds. In equal temperament the frequency rises by the factor 2^(8/12) ≈ 1.587 (523.25 Hz); the just ratio 8:5 = 1.6 would give about 527.4 Hz. Eight frets are, according to the page, a large stretch and are mostly not fretted in one hand position but through a position shift or a string change. On two neighbouring strings the minor sixth can often be fretted with an offset of three frets (four on the G and B strings).

In the harmonic series the minor sixth is the distance from the fifth to the eighth partial. As a harmonic of its own it is hard to isolate; it arises rather from comparing the higher natural harmonics.

Common mistakes

• Confusing minor and major sixth: Both span six degrees, the minor has eight, the major nine semitones.
• Mixing it with the fifth: The sixth spans six degrees, the fifth five.
• Fretting eight frets on one string: The guitar mostly solves the sixth via a string or position change.