minor key
TRANSCRIPT
Leaving Cert MusicHow to establish the relative minor of a major key signature
Establish the major key indicated by the key signature When your key signature has sharps, the name of the key is the name of the note that comes after your
last sharp When your key signature has flats, the name of the key is the name of your second last flat
Eg Three sharps means that you’re in the key of A major
Write out the major scale with the tonic solfa beneath
Doh re mi fah soh lah ti doh
Now write out the notes of the scale starting on lah. The relative minor key, also known as the lah mode, uses the notes of the major scale but starts on lah
Lah ti doh re mi fah soh lah
Finally raise soh a semitone to si by adding an accidental, so that the seventh note is sharpened
Lah ti doh re mi fah si lah
Q. Name the major and relative minor keys indicated by these key signatures
Major key: 1._____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._______ 5._______
Relative minor: 1._____ 2._____ 3._____ 4._______ 5._______
©Emily Lynch
Leaving Cert Music
Major key: 6._____ 7._____ 8._____ 9._______
Relative minor: 6._____ 7._____ 8._____ 9._______
Melodic minor scale
In the minor scale the distance between the 6th and 7th notes is that of an Augmented 2nd
This interval is considered very hard on the ear so you shouldn’t let it occur in your compositions
To avoid having this interval in minor melodies you have two options:1. Don’t move by step between the 6th and the 7th notes (if in doubt leave it out!)2. If you wish to move by step between the 6th and 7th notes you should either sharpen the 6th or flatten
the 7th (this results in the melodic minor scale)
When ascending by step in scale motion we generally raise the sixth note by a semitone to avoid this interval
When descending by step in scale motion we generally lower the 7th by a semitone to avoid this interval
©Emily Lynch
Leaving Cert MusicHow to recognise a piece in a minor key
The chord of i in the minor key is outlined in bar one There are accidentals (sharpened 7th especially) The question doesn’t ask you to modulate to the dominant
Q. Identify the keys of the following phrases.
2010 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2009 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2008 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2007 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2006 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2005 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
2004 Key:___________________ Scale:_____________________
©Emily Lynch