The Tone of Fa Major

What is Fa Major

A tone is the «centre of gravity» of a work: a main note, the tonic, and a scale that is organized around it. In Fa major the tonic is Fa and the scale is greater, that is, with a third greater (Fa-La) that gives it an open and bright color.

Share armor with Minor re, its relative tonality: the same notes, but with another center. And he shares tonic with Fa minor, his homonymous tonality, which carries 4 bemoles.

The armor

The armor has only one bemol, Yeah.♭, which is written at the beginning of each pentagram.

The scale

The scale of Fa major follows the pattern of tones and semitones of any larger scale (tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone):

• Fa - Sol - La - Yes♭ - Do - Re - Mi - Fa
• The semitones fall between La and Si♭ and between Mi and Fa. That seventh note, Mi, is the «sensitive»: is half the tone of the tonic and pulls it into resolution.

The main chords

• I · Tonic, Fa major: Fa-la-do. The point of rest.
• II · Minor sun: Sun - Yes♭ - Re. Prepare the dominant one gently.
• IV · Subdominant, if bemol major: Yeah.♭ - Re-Fa. Get away from the tonic without tension.
• V · Dominant, Do Major: Do - Mi - Sol. It contains the sensitive (My) and pushes towards the tonic.
• V7 · Seventh dominant: Do - Mi - Sol - Yes♭. The maximum voltage before solving.
• VI · Other: Re-Fa-La. It is the tonic of the relative minor and brings a touch of shadow.

Examples of progress

• Perfect chain (I - IV - V7 - I): Fa → Yes♭ → Do7 → Fa. The formula that confirms the tonality at the end of almost any work.
• II - V - I: Solm → Do7 → Fa. The most used progression from harmony, from Baroque to jazz.
• Broken (V7 - VI): Do7 → Rem. The ear waits for Fa and receives a minor chord: a small blow of surprise.
• Modulation to the dominant: Fa → Sol7 → Do. The If of the Sol7 chord is the sensitive of Do and takes the music to Do major, the most common destination of a work in Fa major.

Character

A bemol and a serene and country air. It is the tonality of the hunting tubes and the «Pastoral» of Beethoven, that is why it is associated with nature and calm. Today we know that with the temperate tuning all the tonalities sound equal to «tuned»but these associations continue to be part of the tradition and the way the composers choose them.

Works to listen to her

• Bach: Brandenburg Concert No. 2, BWV 1047, with its glowing acute trumpet.
• Vivaldi: «The fall», of The four stations, RV 293 (1725).
• Beethoven: Sonata for violin and piano «Spring», op. 24 (1801).
• Beethoven: Symphony No. 6, «Pastoral», op. 68 (1808).
• Brahms: Symphony No. 3, op. 90 (1883).
• Dvorak: String Quartet «American», op. 96 (1893).