The Tone of If Minor

What is If 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 If minor the tonic is Does and the scale is smaller, that is, with a third minor (Si-Re) that gives it a darker color than that of the larger tonalities.

Share armor with Major, its relative tonality: the same notes, but with another center. And he shares tonic with If greater, its homonymous tonality, which carries 5 supports.

The armor

The armor carries 2 supports, which are always written in this order at the beginning of each pentagram:

• Fa♯ · Do♯
• Trick to remember it: the supports advance by ascending fifths (Fa → Do → Sol → Re → The → Mi → Yes), and the last sustained is always half tone below the larger tone.

The three smaller scales

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

• Natural: Yes - Do♯ - Re - Mi - Fa♯ - Sol. It's exactly the notes of the armor.
• Harmonic: Yes - Do♯ - Re - Mi - Fa♯ - Sun - The♯ - Yeah. The seventh is raised to create the «sensitive», the note that pulls towards the tonic. Between Sol and La♯ there is a second-increased jump, with a very characteristic taste.
• Melodic: as you go up, Yes - Do♯ - Re - Mi - Fa♯ - Sun♯ – The♯ - Yes; 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♯ (and sometimes the Sun♯) 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 If minor with many♯, most likely the work is in If Minor and not in Re Major.

The main chords

• I · Tonic, if minor: Yes - Re - Fa♯. The point of rest.
• IV · Subdominant, My minor: My - Sol - Yes. Get away from the tonic gently.
• V · Dominant, Major sustained Fa: Fa♯ - The♯ - Do♯. Thank you to La♯ of the harmonic scale is a greater chord, with strength to return to the tonic.
• V7 · Seventh dominant: Fa♯ - The♯ - Do♯ - Me. The maximum voltage before solving.
• VI · Major sun: Sol - Yes - Re. It brings light into the darkness and stars the «broken cadence».
• III · Major: Re-Fa♯ - La. 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): Sim → Mim → Fa♯7 → Sim. It is the formula that confirms the tonality; you will hear it at the end of almost any work in Yes Minor.
• Broken (V-VI): Fa♯7 → Sun. The ear awaits Sim and receives an unexpected major chord: a very romantic surprise resource.
• Low of regret: Yes - La - Sol - Fa♯ down, down by degrees. It is the classic gesture of duel and sadness, from the Baroque to today.
• Modulation to the relative: Sim → La7 → Re. It is enough with the dominant Re to go into the light in the greater way without changing the armor.

Character

Two sustained and a serious, meditative and sometimes tragic character. It is the tone of great unique works, from the Mass of Bach to the «Pathetic» from Chaikovski. 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: Mass in case of minor, BWV 232 (completed around 1749).
• Schubert: Symphony No. 8, «Unfinished»D. 759 (1822).
• Chopin: Sonata para piano no. 3, op. 58 (1844).
• Liszt: Sonata en si minor (1852-1853).
• Chaikovski: Symphony No. 6, «Pathetic», op. 74 (1893).
• Dvorak: Concert for cello, op. 104 (1894-1895).