Minor chord

In music theory, a minor chord is a chord that has a root, a

minor third, and a perfect fifth.[2] When a chord has these
minor triad
three notes alone, it is called a minor triad. For example, the Component intervals from root
minor triad built on C, called a C minor triad, has pitches C– perfect fifth
E♭–G:
minor third
root
Tuning
10:12:15[1]
A minor triad can be represented by the integer notation
{0, 3, 7}. Forte no. / Complement
3-11 / 9-11
A minor triad can also be described by its intervals: it has as a
minor third interval on the bottom and a major third on top or
as a root note. By contrast, a major triad has a major third on
the bottom and minor third on top. They both contain fifths,
because a minor third (three semitones) plus a major third
(four semitones) equals a perfect fifth (seven semitones).
A minor triad has a minor third (m3)
In Western classical music from 1600 to 1820 and in Western on the bottom, a major third (M3) on
pop, folk and rock music, a major chord is usually played as a top, and a perfect fifth (P5) between
triad. Along with the major triad, the minor triad is one of the the outer notes.
basic building blocks of tonal music and the common practice
period. In Western music, a minor chord, in comparison,
"sounds darker than a major chord"[3] but is still considered highly consonant, stable, or as not
requiring resolution.

Some minor chords with additional notes, such as the minor seventh chord, may also be called
minor chords.

Acoustic consonance of the minor chord

A unique particularity of the minor chord is that this is the only chord of three notes in which the
three notes have one harmonic – hearable and with a not too high row – in common (more or less
exactly, depending on the tuning system used). This harmonic, common to the three notes, is
situated 2 octaves above the high note of the chord. This is the sixth harmonic of the root of the
chord, the fifth of the middle note, and the fourth of the high note:

In the example C, E♭, G, the common harmonic is a G 2 octaves above.

Demonstration:

Minor third = 6:5 = 12:10

Major third = 5:4 = 15:12
So the ratios of minor chord are 10:12:15
 And the explication of the unique harmonic in common, between the three notes, is verified by :
10 × 6 = 12 × 5 = 15 × 4

Just intonation
In just intonation, a
minor chord is often (but
not exclusively) tuned in
the frequency ratio
[4] An illustration of the harmonic series as musical notation. The numbers above the
10:12:15 ( play ). This
harmonic indicate the number of cents it deviates from equal temperament. Red
is the first occurrence of a notes are sharp. Blue notes are flat.
minor triad in the
harmonic series (if on C:
E–G–B).[5] This may be found on iii, vi, ♭vi, ♭iii, and vii.[6]

In 12-TET, or twelve-tone equal temperament (now the most common tuning system in the West),
a minor chord has 3 semitones between the root and third, 4 between the third and fifth, and 7
between the root and fifth. It is represented by the integer notation 0,3,7. The 12-TET fifth (700
cents) is only two cents narrower than the just perfect fifth (3:2, 701.9 cents), but the 12-TET
minor third (300 cents) is noticeably (about 16 cents) narrower than the just minor third (6:5,
315.6 cents). The 12-TET minor third (300 cents) more closely approximates the 19-limit (Limit
(music)) minor third 16:19 Play (297.5 cents, the nineteenth harmonic) with only 2 cents
error.[7]

Ellis proposes that the conflict between mathematicians and physicists on one hand and practicing
musicians on the other regarding the supposed inferiority of the minor chord and scale to the
major may be explained due to physicists' comparison of just minor and major triads, in which
case minor comes out the loser, versus the musicians' comparison of the equal tempered triads, in
which case minor comes out the winner since the ET major third is 14 cents sharp from the just
major third while the ET minor third closely approximates the consonant 19:16 minor third, which
many find pleasing.[8]

In the 16th through 18th centuries, prior to 12-TET, the minor third in meantone temperament
was 310 cents Play and much rougher than the 300 cent ET minor third. Other just minor chord
tunings include the supertonic triad in just intonation (27:32:40)[4] the false minor triad,[9]
Play , 16:19:24[10] Play , 12:14:18 (6:7:9)[11][12] Play (septimal minor third), and the
Pythagorean minor triad[10] (54:64:81) Play . More tunings of the minor chord are also available
in various equal temperaments other than 12-TET.

Rather than directly from the harmonic series, Sorge derived the minor chord from joining two
major triads; for example the A minor triad being the confluence of the F and C major triads.[13]
A–C–E = F–A–C–E–G. Given justly tuned major triads this produces a justly tuned minor triad:
10:12:15 on 8:5.

Minor chord table

 Chord Root Minor third Perfect fifth

Cm C E♭ G

C♯♯m C♯ E G♯

D♭♭m D♭ F♭ (E) A♭

Dm D F A

D♯♯m D♯ F♯ A♯

E♭♭m E♭ G♭ B♭

Em E G B

Fm F A♭ C

F♯♯m F♯ A C♯

G♭♭m G♭ B (A) D♭

Gm G B♭ D

G♯♯m G♯ B D♯

A♭♭m A♭ C♭ (B) E♭

Am A C E

A♯♯m A♯ C♯ E♯ (F)

B♭♭m B♭ D♭ F

Bm B D F♯

See also
Major and minor
Musical tuning
Major chord
Otonality and Utonality

References
1. Shirlaw, Matthew. The Theory of Harmony. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-4510-1534-8. "20:24:30"
2. Miller, Michael (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory (https://books.google.com/
books?id=sTMbuSQdqPMC) (2nd ed.). Indianapolis: Alpha. p. 114. ISBN 1-59257-437-8.
3. Kamien, Roger (2008). Music: An Appreciation (https://archive.org/details/music00roge/page/4
6) (6th brief ed.). p. 46 (https://archive.org/details/music00roge/page/46). ISBN 978-0-07-
340134-8.
4. Johnston, Ben; Gilmore, Bob (2006) [2003]. "A Notation System for Extended Just Intonation".
"Maximum Clarity" and Other Writings on Music. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-252-03098-7. "D−, F, A
(10/9–4/3–5/3)"
5. Hauptmann, Moritz (1888). The Nature of Harmony and Metre (https://archive.org/details/natur
eharmonyan00haupgoog). Swan Sonnenschein. p. 15 (https://archive.org/details/natureharmo
nyan00haupgoog/page/n64).
 nyan00haupgoog/page/n64).
6. Wright, David (2009). Mathematics and Music. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0-8218-4873-9.
7. Helmholtz, Hermann (1954). On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the
Theory of Music. Translated by Ellis, Alexander J. New York: Dover Publications. p. 455.
8. Ellis (1954), p.298.
9. Shirlaw, Matthew. The Theory of Harmony. p. 375. ISBN 978-1-4510-1534-8.
10. Ruland, Heiner (1992). Expanding Tonal Awareness. p. 39. ISBN 978-1-85584-170-3.
11. Helmholtz, Hermann (1885). On the Sensations of Tone as a Physiological Basis for the
Theory of Music (https://archive.org/details/onsensationston00unkngoog). Longmans, Green.
p. 468 (https://archive.org/details/onsensationston00unkngoog/page/n493).
12. Mathews, William Smythe Babcock (1805). Music: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Art,
Science, Technic and Literature of Music. 7: 608. "The tones re, fa, and la, as given on the
accordion, are vibrationally 6:7:9. This is not a minor triad, nor anything very near it although its
fifth is just the same as in the minor and the major, and the ratio 6:9 being simply 2:3." Missing
or empty |title= (help)
13. Lester, Joel (1994). Compositional Theory in the Eighteenth Century. p. 194. ISBN 978-0-674-
15523-7.

External links
Minor triads explained on a virtual piano (https://www.apronus.com/music/lessons/minor-triads)
Minor chords explained on a virtual piano (https://www.apronus.com/music/lessons/minor-chor
ds)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Minor_chord&oldid=1002053216"

This page was last edited on 22 January 2021, at 16:39 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.