Minor

The minor triad

The triad on the tonic consists of a minor third at the bottom and a major third on top, in semitones 3 + 4. In major it is the other way round. Two of three tones are therefore identical, only the third is shifted by a semitone, and that decides whether the chord feels radiant or shaded.

The minor scale

The natural minor scale is built from whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole. It uses the same notes as the major scale of the relative key but starts on its sixth degree: A minor has the same notes as C major. Because a whole tone lies between the seventh degree and the root, the leading tone is missing, and the ending sounds more open than in major.

That is why there are two further forms. In harmonic minor the seventh degree is raised by a semitone so that a leading tone arises and the dominant chord becomes a major triad. This creates a leap of a tone and a half between the sixth and seventh degree, which sounds oriental. In melodic minor the sixth and seventh degrees are raised on the way up to avoid that leap. You find all three forms in notes and audio under A minor.

Minor is not the same as sad

“Minor is sad” is a rule of thumb, not a rule. A great deal of dance music is in minor, from the tarantella to klezmer. What minor really does is raise the tension of a chord and keep its resolution open. What comes of it is decided by tempo, rhythm and context. The article Major and minor: the third as a switch explains this as well.

Common mistakes

• Knowing only one minor scale: Minor has three forms, which differ in the sixth and seventh degrees.
• Confusing relative and parallel keys: The relative key has the same key signature but a different tonic. The parallel minor key (C major and C minor) has the same tonic but three changed notes.
• Spelling: The note letter is a capital and the mode word is lowercase: “C minor”, “A minor”.