The Tonality of My Minor

What is My 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 My Minor the tonic is My and the scale is smaller, that is, with a third minor (My-Sol) that gives it a darker color than that of the larger tonalities.

Share armor with Sun major, its relative tonality: the same notes, but with another center. And he shares tonic with My eldest, its homonymous tonality, which carries 4 supports.

The armor

The armor has a single hold, Fa♯, which is written at the beginning of each pentagram.

The three smaller scales

Like all minor tonality, My minor can be touched in three ways. The difference is in notes 6 and 7:

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

On the score, the Re♯ (and sometimes the Do♯) 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 My minor with many Re♯, most likely the work is in My Minor and not in Sun Major.

The main chords

• I · Tónica, My minor: My - Sol - Yes. The point of rest.
• IV · The minor: La-do-mi. Get away from the tonic gently.
• V · Dominant, if greater: Yes - Re♯ - Fa♯. Thanks to the Re♯ of the harmonic scale is a greater chord, with strength to return to the tonic.
• V7 · Seventh dominant: Yes - Re♯ - Fa♯ - La. The maximum voltage before solving.
• VI · Do major: Do - Mi - Sol. It brings light into the darkness and stars the «broken cadence».
• III · Major sun: Sol - Yes - Re. 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): Mim → Lam → Si7 → Mim. It is the formula that confirms the tonality; you will hear it at the end of almost any work in My minor.
• Broken (V-VI): Si7 → Do. The ear awaits Mim and receives an unexpected major chord: a very romantic surprise resource.
• Low of regret: My - Re - Do - If on the bass, down by degrees. It is the classic gesture of duel and sadness, from the Baroque to today.
• Modulation to the relative: Mim → Re7 → Sun. It is enough with the Sun's dominant to go into the light in the greater way without changing the armor.

Character

A sustained and melancholic character, but full of lyrism, halfway between sadness and nostalgia. It is one of the preferred tones for the great symphonies and romantic concerts. 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

• Chopin: Concert for piano No. 1, op. 11 (1830).
• Chopin: Preludio op. 28 ° 4 (1838-1839).
• Mendelssohn: Concert for violin, op. 64 (1844).
• Brahms: Symphony No. 4, op. 98 (1885).
• Chaikovski: Symphony No. 5, op. 64 (1888).
• Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, «The New World», op. 95 (1893).