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Major and minor

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983: 752: 806: 854: 194: 169: 154: 795:) is only about two cents narrower than the justly tuned perfect fifth (3:2, or 702.0 cents), but the minor third (300 cents) is noticeably (about 16 cents) narrower than the just minor third (6:5, or 315.6 cents). Moreover, the minor third (300 cents) more closely approximates the 825:
proposed that the conflict between mathematicians and physicists on one hand and practicing musicians on the other regarding the supposed inferiority of the minor chord and scale to the major may be explained due to physicists' comparison of just minor and just major triads, in which case minor comes
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between '2nd and 3rd note' and between '5th and 6th note' as compared to the major scales where the difference between '3rd and 4th note' and between '7th and 8th note' is ." This alteration in the third degree "greatly changes" the mood of the music, and "music based on minor scales tends to" be
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major third is about 14 cents sharp from the just major third (5:4, or 386.3 cents), but only about 4 cents narrower than the 19 limit major third (24:19, or 404.4 cents); while the
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considers minor as, "the immutable faculty of ratios, which in turn represent an immutable faculty of the human ear." The minor key and scale are also considered less justifiable than the major, with
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The words derive from Latin words meaning "large" and "small," and were originally applied to the intervals between notes, which may be larger or smaller depending on how many
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Musical tuning of intervals is expressed by the ratio between the pitches' frequencies. Simple fractions can sound more harmonious than complex fractions; for instance, an
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are often analyzed as minor changes unless structurally supported because the root and overall key and tonality remain unchanged. This is in contrast with, for instance,
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of the minor triad is thus considered the top of the fifth, which, in the United States, is called the fifth. So in C minor, the tonic is actually G and the
917:, with, for instance, in C, A minor being considered the tonic parallel (US relative), Tp, the use of minor mode root chord progressions in major such as A 81:(half-steps) they contain. Chords and scales are described as major or minor when they contain the corresponding intervals, usually major or minor thirds. 1051: 201: 902:(a half step), rather than, in major, the root being C and the leading tone B (a half step). Also, since all chords are analyzed as having a 289:
of those keys consist of the corresponding chords; however, a major key can encompass minor chords based on other roots, and vice versa.
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out the loser, versus the musicians' comparison of the equal tempered triads, in which case minor comes out the winner, since the
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is the relatively simple 3:2 ratio. The table below gives frequency ratios that are mathematically exact for
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Minor keys are sometimes said to have a more interesting, possibly darker sound than plain major scales.
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between the root and third, 4 between the third and fifth, and 7 between the root and fifth.
1396: 1195: 762: 1524: 1453: 957: 175: 160: 356:, considered to add color and weaken the sense of key without entirely destroying or losing it. 1359: 1330: 1323: 1111: 862: 327: 330:. Transposition is done by moving all intervals up or down a certain constant interval, and 1473: 1468: 1188: 1125: 1115: 822: 377: 8: 1230: 269: 257: 197:
Major and minor third in a major chord: major third 'M' on bottom, minor third 'm' on top
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is major or minor. Major and minor keys are based on the corresponding scales, and the
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minor third closely approximates the 19:16 minor third which many find pleasing.
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considered to "sound serious or melancholic," at least to contemporary Western ears.
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In the 16th through 18th centuries, prior to 12 TET, the minor third in
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may also be referred to by its key, including whether that key is major or minor.
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at present the most common tuning system in the West) a minor chord has 3 
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explains, "the crucial difference is that in the minor scale there is only a
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This article is about the musical concept. For the academic disciplines, see
929:-major–C-major is analyzed as sP–dP–T, the minor subdominant parallel (see: 113:
based on them) may be major or minor (or, rarely, diminished or augmented).
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The hallmark that distinguishes major keys from minor is whether the third
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On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music
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of the major mode, an upside down major scale based on (theoretical)
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Changes of mode, which involve the alteration of the third, and
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Untersuchungen über die Entstehung der harmonischen Tonalität
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Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can
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Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can
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only available in the minor mode, such as the use of A
933:), the minor dominant parallel, and the major tonic. 249:, the third degree is a minor third above the tonic. 1105: 1103: 1101: 217:may also refer to scales and chords that contain a 1110: 1506: 1098: 260:, the third is a major third above the chord's 1360: 1196: 352:-major in C major, is relatively decorative 272:, the third is a minor third above the root. 1367: 1353: 1203: 1189: 1144:Studies on the Origin of Harmonic Tonality 1138: 1052:"Listening to Music: Lecture 5 Transcript" 188:major and (natural) minor scales on C 1146:. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1073: 1071: 1022: 1020: 1018: 992:and much rougher than the 300 cent 953:Music written in all major or minor keys 852: 359: 192: 93:larger than a minor interval. The words 819:) with only about a 2 cent error. 319:calling it a "falsehood of the major". 1507: 1068: 315:calling it a "clouding" of major, and 1348: 1184: 1015: 815:or, 297.5 cents, the nineteenth 128: 865:, the minor mode is considered the 13: 1050:Craig Wright (September 18, 2008). 848: 14: 1536: 1033:, 6th Brief Edition, p. 46. 368:is a simple 2:1 ratio and a 948:List of major/minor compositions 198: 1210: 1132: 1044: 970: 763:12 tone equal temperament 233:is a scale in which the third 105:are also used to describe the 1: 1008: 241:) is a major third above the 1374: 791:the perfect fifth (700  171: 156: 84: 7: 936: 10: 1541: 857:Minor as upside down major 132: 18: 1397:Consonance and dissonance 1382: 1218: 1112:von Helmholtz, H.L. 963: 89:A major interval is one 1454:Otonality and utonality 1166:English translation of 1109:A.J. Ellis, writing in 958:Otonality and utonality 276: 176:download the audio file 161:download the audio file 1294:Names and translations 1031:Music: An Appreciation 858: 207: 121:"sounds darker than a 107:quality of an interval 873:rather than (actual) 863:Neo-Riemannian theory 856: 803:) minor third (19:16 730:  1088.3¢   380:seek to approximate. 378:meantone temperaments 360:Intonation and tuning 196: 1474:Schenkerian analysis 1469:Progressive tonality 978:meantone temperament 980:was 310 cents 270:minor seventh chord 258:major seventh chord 1412:Secondary function 1140:Gjerdingen, Robert 1083:Genesis of a Music 1057:2010-08-04 at the 859: 208: 111:compound intervals 1515:Intervals (music) 1502: 1501: 1407:Diatonic function 1342: 1341: 1266:Music in all keys 1153:978-0-691-09135-8 1063:Open Yale Courses 1039:978-0-07-340134-8 741: 740: 204: 180: 165: 129:Scales and chords 34:, the adjectives 1532: 1484:Tonality diamond 1392:Circle of fifths 1369: 1362: 1355: 1346: 1345: 1333: 1326: 1319: 1312: 1305: 1296: 1289: 1282: 1275: 1268: 1261: 1254: 1247: 1240: 1233: 1226: 1224:Circle of fifths 1205: 1198: 1191: 1182: 1181: 1175: 1165: 1136: 1130: 1129: 1124:. Translated by 1107: 1096: 1075: 1066: 1048: 1042: 1024: 1002: 1000: 999: 998: 991: 990: 989: 987: 974: 928: 927: 922: 921: 901: 900: 844: 843: 842: 834: 833: 832: 814: 813: 812: 810: 790: 788: 787: 773: 771: 770: 760: 759: 758: 756: 736: 726: 719: 712: 705: 698: 691: 687: 683: 680: 661: 658: 653: 648: 643: 640: 635: 632: 627: 622: 617: 614: 596: 595: 593: 592: 589: 586: 577: 576: 574: 573: 570: 567: 558: 557: 555: 554: 551: 548: 539: 538: 536: 535: 532: 529: 520: 519: 517: 516: 513: 510: 501: 500: 498: 497: 494: 491: 482: 481: 479: 478: 475: 472: 463: 462: 460: 459: 456: 453: 385: 384: 351: 350: 317:Moritz Hauptmann 252:Similarly, in a 225:, respectively. 206: 205: 42:may describe an 16:Musical concepts 1540: 1539: 1535: 1534: 1533: 1531: 1530: 1529: 1505: 1504: 1503: 1498: 1434:Major and minor 1424:Just intonation 1378: 1373: 1343: 1338: 1329: 1322: 1315: 1308: 1301: 1292: 1285: 1278: 1271: 1264: 1257: 1252:Major and minor 1250: 1243: 1236: 1231:Closely related 1229: 1222: 1214: 1209: 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1441: 1436: 1431: 1426: 1421: 1416: 1415: 1414: 1404: 1402:Diatonic scale 1399: 1394: 1389: 1383: 1380: 1379: 1372: 1371: 1364: 1357: 1349: 1340: 1339: 1337: 1336: 1335: 1334: 1320: 1313: 1306: 1299: 1298: 1297: 1283: 1276: 1269: 1262: 1255: 1248: 1241: 1238:Diatonic scale 1234: 1227: 1219: 1216: 1215: 1208: 1207: 1200: 1193: 1185: 1177: 1176: 1152: 1131: 1097: 1067: 1043: 1013: 1012: 1010: 1007: 1004: 1003: 968: 967: 965: 962: 961: 960: 955: 950: 945: 938: 935: 931:parallel chord 850: 847: 743: 742: 739: 738: 731: 728: 721: 714: 707: 700: 693: 675: 663: 662: 654: 649: 644: 636: 628: 623: 618: 610: 598: 597: 578: 559: 540: 521: 502: 483: 464: 445: 433: 432: 426: 421: 416: 411: 406: 401: 396: 391: 361: 358: 313:Paul Hindemith 278: 275: 274: 273: 250: 184: 173: 170: 158: 155: 152: 151: 150: 130: 127: 86: 83: 25:Academic minor 21:Academic major 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1537: 1526: 1523: 1521: 1518: 1516: 1513: 1512: 1510: 1495: 1494:Voice leading 1492: 1490: 1487: 1485: 1482: 1480: 1477: 1475: 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881:) (See also: 880: 876: 872: 868: 864: 855: 846: 824: 820: 818: 811: 802: 798: 794: 779: 777: 764: 757: 748: 732: 729: 727:884.4¢   722: 720:702.0¢   715: 713:498.0¢   708: 706:386.3¢   701: 699:203.9¢   694: 676: 673: 668: 667:Interval size 665: 664: 655: 650: 645: 637: 629: 624: 619: 611: 608: 603: 602:Interval name 600: 599: 579: 560: 541: 522: 503: 484: 465: 446: 443: 438: 435: 434: 430: 427: 425: 422: 420: 417: 415: 412: 410: 407: 405: 402: 400: 397: 395: 392: 390: 387: 386: 383: 382: 381: 379: 375: 371: 367: 357: 355: 345: 341: 337: 333: 329: 328:transposition 325: 320: 318: 314: 310: 305: 302: 298: 295: 290: 288: 284: 271: 267: 263: 259: 255: 251: 248: 244: 240: 236: 232: 228: 227: 226: 224: 220: 216: 212: 195: 187: 177: 162: 148: 144: 140: 136: 126: 124: 120: 116: 112: 108: 104: 100: 96: 92: 82: 80: 75: 73: 69: 65: 61: 57: 53: 49: 45: 41: 37: 33: 32:Western music 26: 22: 1489:Tonicization 1464:Polytonality 1459:Parallel key 1433: 1419:Figured bass 1251: 1171: 1143: 1134: 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In a 231:major scale 223:minor third 219:major third 147:Minor chord 143:Major chord 139:Minor scale 135:Major scale 123:major chord 119:minor chord 60:composition 1509:Categories 1439:Modulation 1331:Instrument 1259:Modulation 1009:References 871:undertones 823:A.J. Ellis 99:diminished 1287:Signature 1245:Homotonal 883:Utonality 879:harmonics 875:overtones 776:semitones 737:¢   442:just int. 389:Note name 301:half step 103:augmented 85:Intervals 79:semitones 1449:Ostinato 1376:Tonality 1310:Tonality 1280:Relative 1273:Parallel 1142:(1990). 1118:(1954). 1080:(2009). 1055:Archived 1029:(2008). 937:See also 926:♭ 923:-major–B 920:♭ 915:function 912:dominant 899:♭ 817:harmonic 797:19-limit 376:, which 349:♭ 186:Parallel 91:semitone 64:movement 44:interval 1520:Harmony 1387:Cadence 1174:(1968). 867:inverse 861:In the 723:  716:  709:  702:  695:  677:  594:⁠ 582:⁠ 575:⁠ 563:⁠ 556:⁠ 544:⁠ 537:⁠ 525:⁠ 518:⁠ 506:⁠ 499:⁠ 487:⁠ 480:⁠ 468:⁠ 461:⁠ 449:⁠ 264:. 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Index

Academic major
Academic minor
Western music
interval
chord
scale
key
composition
movement
section
phrase
semitones
semitone
quality of an interval
compound intervals
Unisons
minor chord
major chord
Major scale
Minor scale
Major chord
Minor chord
download the audio file
download the audio file
Parallel

major third
minor third
major scale
scale degree

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