The Tone of Fa Minor

What is Fa minor

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 minor the tonic is Fa and the scale is smaller, that is, with a third minor (♭) which gives it a darker color than that of the larger tonalities.

Share armor with The major bemol, its relative tonality: the same notes, but with another center. And he shares tonic with Fa major, his homonymous tonality, which carries 1 bemol.

The armor

The armor has 4 bemoles, which are always written in this order at the beginning of each pentagram:

• Yeah.♭ · My♭ · The♭ · Re♭
• Trick to remember it: the bemoles advance through ascending quarters (Yes → My → The → Re → Sun → Do → Fa), and in the larger tones the penultimate bemol gives the name of the tonic.

The three smaller scales

Like any minor tone, Fa minor can be played in three ways. The difference is in notes 6 and 7:

• Natural: Fa - Sol - La♭ - Yeah.♭ - Do - Re♭ - My♭ - Fa. It's exactly the notes of the armor.
• Harmonic: Fa - Sol - La♭ - Yeah.♭ - Do - Re♭ - My♮ - Fa. The seventh is raised to create the «sensitive», the note that pulls towards the tonic. Enter Re♭ and Me♮ there is a second-increased jump, with a very characteristic taste.
• Melodic: as you go up, Fa - Sol - La♭ - Yeah.♭ - Do - Re♮ – My♮ - Fa; when you go down, you return to the natural scale. This is how you avoid that jump and the melody flows better.

On the score, the My♮ (and sometimes the Re♮) does not appear in the armor: it is written as an accidental alteration in front of the note. So, if you see the armor of Fa minor with many My♮, most likely the work is in Fa minor and not in The major bemol.

The main chords

• I · Tonic, Fa minor: Fa - The♭ - Do. The point of rest.
• IV · Subdominant, if lower bemol: Yeah.♭ - Re♭ Get away from the tonic gently.
• V · Dominant, Do Major: Do - Mi♮ - Sol. Thanks to the Mi♮ of the harmonic scale is a greater chord, with strength to return to the tonic.
• V7 · Seventh dominant: Do - Mi♮ - Sun - Yes♭. The maximum voltage before solving.
• VI · Re bemol major: Re♭ - Fa - La♭. It brings light into the darkness and stars the «broken cadence».
• III · The major bemol: The♭ - Do - Mi♭. It is the tonic of the relative major, the usual destination when a minor work wants «open».

Examples of progress

• Perfect chain (I - IV - V7 - I): Fam → Yes♭m → Do7 → Fam. It is the formula that confirms the tonality; you will hear it at the end of almost any work in Fa minor.
• Broken (V-VI): Do7 → Re♭. The ear awaits Fam and receives a major unexpected chord: a very romantic surprise resource.
• Low of regret: Fa - Mi♭ - Re♭ - Do on the bass, down by degrees. It is the classic gesture of duel and sadness, from the Baroque to today.
• Modulation to the relative: Fam → Mi♭7 → The♭. Enough with the dominant of La♭ to go into the light in the greatest way without changing armor.

Character

Four bemoles and a somber and passionate tone. It has been related to deep melancholy and pain, but also to the tormentous passion of the «Appassionata». 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

• Vivaldi: «The winter», of The four stations, RV 297 (1725).
• Haydn: Symphony No. 49, «The passion» (1768).
• Beethoven: Sonata for piano «Appassionata», op. 57 (1804-1805).
• Schubert: Four-hand piano fantasy, D. 940 (1828).
• Chopin: Concert for piano No. 2, op. 21 (1829-1830).
• Chaikovski: Symphony No. 4, op. 36 (1877-1878).