Picardy third

Minor begins, major ends

The article Major and minor: the third as a switch names as the most striking use of the altered third the Picardy third: a piece in minor ends on a major triad. The final chord of a movement in A minor is then not A–C–E but A–C♯–E. From the 16th into the 18th century that was the rule and not the exception, a minor ending counted as unfinished. Bach ends numerous chorale settings this way. The effect is a sudden brightening at the last moment, and it works even with listeners who know nothing about thirds.

A chorale as an example

The page Cadences shows an example in D minor: a four-part closing phrase on the chorale melody “O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden” (melody Hans Leo Hassler). The phrase is in minor but ends on a major chord. The page analyses a perfect authentic cadence preceded by the subdominant. Because the piece is in minor, an ordinary ending would be V–i with a small i. The setting, however, raises the third of the final chord to a major third, and D minor becomes a radiant D major. That is exactly why the label V–I with a capital I is correct. The page calls the Picardy third a trademark of Baroque music: it gives minor pieces an unexpectedly bright, conciliatory ending.

Common mistakes

• Taking the major ending for a mistake: It is usual in Baroque music.
• Labelling with a small i: With a Picardy third the final chord is called I.
• Confusing it with modulation: The piece stays in minor, only the last chord brightens.