Major and minor are the two main classical European frets in music. Almost all musical compositions are written in them, but they are not the only ones. In addition to them, there are many more frets, for example:
- Ionian;
- Dorian
- Phrygian;
- mixolidian;
- Aeolian;
- Lokri.
But as mentioned earlier, major and minor keys are the most common.
Definition of dur and moll
"Major" in Latin is denoted by dur. Accordingly, moll in translation is “minor” (there is a similarity in the sounding of terms, therefore remembering is not considered a very difficult task).
The musical mood is a combination of stable and unstable steps built in a certain pattern.
The difference between dur and moll
Everyone knows the pronounced difference between the two main modes from each other:
- major - fun and bright (translated from Latin - "large");
- minor - sad and gloomy (translated from Latin as "small").
But if you look from a professional point of view, the difference in sound has a basis under it that can justify this modal contrast.
Based on the course of musical grammar, it follows that the gamma consists of 7 notes (the 8th is the first, but only the next octave), each note, in other words, is a step. Therefore, the number of these same steps will be equal to seven. Despite the fact that they belong to the same family (for example, the key of C major or C minor), they perform different functions.
So, family members are divided into stable and unstable steps. The former play the role of the basis for tonality, while the latter can "walk" and are fickle. They creep (resolved) into stable ones or undergo modulation (departure to another key).
In the minor, the stable III stage will always be lowered by half a ton (from Mi to E-flat). It is this sign of alteration (flat) that makes the minor triad so.
Triad - a chord of three steps.
Major key
Both major and minor include 7 notes, but their structure is different.
If we take C major as an example, then the note C is a tonic, from which the score will go. So, the steps are at a certain distance from each other:
- I-II (tone);
- II-III (tone);
- III-IV (semitone);
- IV-V (tone);
- V-VI (tone);
- VI-VII (tone);
- VII-I (semitone).
It must be recalled that a semitone is the smallest distance between sounds, and a tone is the sum of two semitones.
Minor key
The structure of the eponymous Do, but already minor:
- Do - Re (tone);
- Re - E-flat (semitone);
- E-flat - Fa (tone);
- Fa - Salt (tone);
- Salt - A flat (semitone);
- A flat - B flat (tone);
- B flat - Do (tone).
As you noticed, there are significant changes compared to major. First of all, it is the presence of signs of alteration (in this case, flat) in a minor key. Their presence is due to the fact that the order of tones and midtones changes.
Building
In major, in the required sequence are:
- tone-tone-halftone-tone-tone-tone-halftone.
In minor:
- tone-tone-tone-tone-tone-tone-tone-tone.
In addition to the underestimated stage III, they also go down to the semitone of the VI and VII stages.
The two schemes described above are the basis for the construction of all major and minor keys.
Parallels
In musical terminology, there is a concept such as "parallel keys." It includes the similarity of the signs of alteration (flat and sharp) at a certain height and in the exact order.
This means that minor keys are parallel to major ones. At first glance, it might seem that the principle of parallel is constructed as follows: C major - C minor; D major is D minor, but this is a common mistake by beginners.
What is the point?
The keys are similar in that they have the same signs of alteration, but are parallel because the modes are opposite. For example, C major is parallel to A minor, since there are no signs at all in either the first or second keys. If you look at the piano keyboard, they will completely go through the white keys.
The keys in D major will be parallel to C minor, since with the treble clef both the first and the second have the F and C sharp.
D-dur:
- I - II (tone);
- II - III F-sharp (tone);
- III F-sharp - IV (semitone);
- IV - V (tone);
- V - VI (tone);
- VI - VII C sharp (tone);
- VII C sharp - I (semitone).
h-moll (minor is written in small latin letters):
- I - II C sharp (tone);
- II C sharp - III (semitone, III stage);
- III - IV (tone);
- IV - V F-sharp (tone);
- V F-sharp - VI (semitone);
- VI - VII (tone);
- VII - I (tone).
Signs of minor key are equal to signs of major.
It is worth noting that the key can have only one parallel. C major is only parallel to A minor and so on.
How to determine?
There is one very simple way to quickly identify parallel keys. From the solfeggio course, students know the concept of interval. One of them is a third (a width of III keys and including two sounds along the edges).
So, the parallel can be determined by third, but small. There are small and large intervals, their difference lies in the sum of the tones. The major third consists of 2 tones, and the small of 1.5.
If you need to find a parallel to the major, then we are from the main note - To, for example, a major key, we build down a small third, as a result we go down to the note A - and this is exactly what we had to find. As a result, it turns out that a minor will be a parallel minor key C major.
With minor, everything is similar, just the opposite: E minor is given, you need to immediately find out its parallel. From the note Mi we build a small third, but already up, we get the sound of Salt.
Bottom line: E minor is parallel to G major and includes the same signs.
The principle is not to get confused:
- if you need to find a minor key - a small third of DOWN;
- if you need to find a major key - a small third of UP.
Types of minor
There are 3 varieties of minor that transform it, filling it with brighter, but distinctive sounds:
- natural;
- harmonic;
- melodic.
The natural appearance of the minor is the simplest, it appears before us in the classic version without any changes:
- the main tonic step is La;
- second stage - C;
- in line - To;
- the fourth on the list is Re;
- the dominant minor is Mi;
- sixth pure - Fa;
- seventh pure - Salt;
- and again tonic - La.
The sound is transparent, simplified and less characteristic.
The harmonious look of the minor is very bright and most preferred in practice.
- first tonic - La;
- the second is also C;
- the third, forming a small third - Do;
- subdominant - Re;
- self-confident dominant - Mi;
- still calm sixth - Fa;
- already elevated and nervous - G sharp;
- resolution in tonic - La.
The peculiarity of the construction is to increase the VII stage, which stretches to resolve in tonic. Her zeal is often riddled with tragedy. This technique is most often used as the end of a musical phrase and the work as a whole.
The melodic appearance of the minor is the most complex, as it is where the most changes occur.
- the main owner is La;
- stable second - C;
- characteristic fret - To;
- subdominant fourth - Re;
- approved in rights - Mi;
- increased sixth - F-sharp;
- followed by the winged seventh - G sharp;
- the top of the gamut is La.
When rising, the VI and VII steps in the upper part of the gamut go gently and lingeringly, due to which the view gets its name. It is worth noting that in the downstream version the melodic look is absent, i.e., in the reverse order the minor will sound like a natural:
- upper la;
- soothing seventh - Salt (baker);
- followed by the pacified sixth - the Fa (baker);
- everything is also stable - Mi;
- subdominant - Re;
- minor third - Do;
- reaching for a tonic - C;
- the point in the gamut is La.
Bekars (a sign for canceling the rise and fall) eliminate the sharps that were needed to raise the VI and VII stages. Since in their natural form they do not change, the baker returns them to the classical form.
In major all species are also present, but changes in the structure are different.
All tonality
In total, there are 24 keys, but memorizing without logic does not make much sense. For such a purpose, an absolutely brilliant thing serves - a quarto-fifth or just a fifth circle.
It includes both major and minor keys.
The circle is built on the principle of the very parallel described above. Its basis is the beloved by everyone in C major and A minor. But why? These two keys, firstly, are parallel and, secondly, have absolutely no signs with a key. Further the movement goes in two directions;
- on the right - sharp keys;
- on the left are flat keys.
However, they do not move in a chaotic order, but in a strict order, which is determined by the number of signs.
In C major and A minor - 0 characters, and then there is a branching:
- in G major and parallel to it - E minor (= 1 sharp);
- F major and its parallel are D minor (= 1 flat).
They will be followed by tonality already with two signs, and so it will continue in a circle to a maximum of seven. These will be the keys:
- F Sharp Major and his friend - D Sharp Minor;
- G flat major with E flat minor.
For a detailed analysis of minor keys, the fifth circle is perfect. There is no way to get lost in it, since all the important information is miniaturely arranged.
For the first time, the concept of a circle appeared in the work of the theorist and composer Dilecki under the title “The Idea of the Mousikian Grammar” from 1679.
JS Bach in practice demonstrated the diversity of all keys in the collection "Well-Tempered Clavier". It included 48 preludes and fugues, written in two volumes.
Chopin and later Shostakovich wrote their preludes in all 24 keys.
Total
Music is the same mathematics where one cannot do without calculations, calculations and schemes. A paradoxical thought: all the artistic splendor of the sound is supported by a base based on numbers and tables.
Minor keys are a vivid means of expression, capable of influencing the body from different physiological sides and freeing real human feelings from the soul.