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Chord · minor triad · the dark twin

Minor major, with a lowered 3rd


Sampled piano. Sound on.

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What is in it

A minor triad is the root, a minor 3rd above it, and a perfect 5th above the root. From C that gives C, E flat, G. Built from thirds, it is a minor 3rd on the bottom (C to E flat) and a major 3rd on top (E flat to G), the exact reverse of the major triad's stack. The outer interval is still a perfect 5th, which is why minor and major are twins rather than strangers.

On the staff

C minor, root position: C E♭ G, octave on top

The one note that changes

Everything that makes a chord minor lives in the 3rd. C major and C minor share the C and the G; only the E moves, down to E flat. Because the 5th is untouched, a minor chord is every bit as stable as a major one. It does not pull or strain. It simply sits in a darker place. That is the distinction to train: both chords are equally at rest, and the only question is whether the colour is bright or shadowed.

Where it sits in a key

Minor chords are not an exception to major harmony; they are woven through it. In a major key the triads on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees are minor (ii, iii, vi), and the vi in particular is the relative-minor chord that lets a bright key turn briefly inward. In a minor key, the home chord itself is minor (i), as is the chord on the 4th (iv). Half the chords in common use are minor.

How Aubel handles it

Minor starts unlocked alongside major, the two of them forming the opening pool. They are paired because the only thing separating them is the 3rd, and hearing that one note cold is the core of chord recognition. Each round plays the chord as a block on a random root. Clear the pair and the diminished triad unlocks next, which keeps minor's lowered 3rd and lowers the 5th as well.

Common questions

What notes are in a minor chord?
A root, the minor 3rd above it, and the perfect 5th above the root. In C that is C, E flat, G. Stacked as thirds it is a minor 3rd on the bottom (C to E flat, three semitones) and a major 3rd on top (E flat to G, four semitones). It is the major chord with its two thirds swapped.
What is the difference between a minor and a major chord?
The 3rd, and nothing else. Root and 5th are identical; the middle note is a semitone lower in minor. Major puts the major 3rd in the middle, minor puts the minor 3rd. Listen past the root and top note to that inner voice: if it sits low and heavy, the chord is minor.
Why does a minor chord sound darker?
The minor 3rd. Lowering the 3rd a semitone is the only change from major, and in Western music that flattened 3rd reads as shadowed or sad where the major 3rd reads as bright. The chord is still stable, because the perfect 5th is intact, so minor sounds settled but dark rather than tense. Stability with a shadow.
What is a minor chord in Roman numerals?
In a major key the triads on the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th degrees are minor, written ii, iii, and vi. In a minor key the tonic itself is minor (i), along with the chord on the 4th (iv). So minor chords are not just the sad option; they are structural, supplying the inner colours that major keys lean on and the home chord of every minor key.

References

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