Parallel key in G minor. Tonality: definition, parallel, eponymous and enharmonic equal tonalities

Gamma E-minor One of the most popular scales on the guitar. Songs written on the basis of this scale give away the warmth of home and evoke a feeling of comfort and coziness. This is how the E-minor scale looks on the fretboard:

Sounds included in the E-minor scale

guitar neck diagram

The names of the notes included in the E-minor scale

The sounds included in the E-minor scale obey the following sequence: Mi (E) - Fa # (F #) - Sol (G) - La (A) - Si (H) - Do (C) - Re (D)

Practical instructions for quick memorization and scale splitting!

In order to play scale E-minor throughout the entire neck of the guitar, it is recommended to divide the scale into separate pieces. Each of these pieces must include three notes, and these notes must be on the same string. This is the shortest way to memorize scales. Three-note fingering is ideal for developing your playing speed and training your technique.

Below you will find scale E-minor for guitar, presented as seven small fingerboard diagrams. Each such diagram shows you the fingerings for each of the three-note positions.

Gamma E-minor, crushed by positions. In each of these positions, three notes are played on each of the strings.

Position #1	Position #2
Position #3	Position #4
Position #5	Position #6
Position #7

Major key parallel to E minor

Pay attention to what G major – major parallel to the E minor scale. This means that the sounds that make up the E-minor scale are identical to the sounds that make up the G-major scale.

The last issue was devoted to the consideration of such musical concepts as mode and tonality. Today we will continue our study of this big topic and we will talk about what parallel keys are, but first we will very briefly repeat the previous material.

Fundamentals of mode and tonality in music

Lad- this is a specially selected group (gamma) of sounds, in which there are basic - stable steps and there are unstable ones that obey the stable ones. Another mode has character, so there are varieties of modes - for example, major and minor.

Key- this is the altitude position of the fret, because the major or minor scale you can build, sing or play absolutely from any sound. This sound will be called tonic, and it is the most important sound of the tonality, the most stable and, accordingly, the first step of the mode.

Tones have names , by which we understand what fret and at what height it is located. Examples of key names: C-MAJOR, D-MAJOR, MI-MAJOR or C-MINOR, D-MINOR, MI-MINOR. That is the name of the key conveys information about two important things - firstly, about what kind of tonic (or main sound) the tonality has, and, secondly, what kind of modal mood the tonality has (what character is it - major or minor).

Finally, the keys differ from each other also, that is, by the presence of any sharps or flats. These differences are due to the fact that major and minor scales have a special structure in terms of tones and semitones (read more in the previous article, that is). So, in order for a major to be a major, and a minor to be really a minor, sometimes a certain number of altered steps (with sharps or with flats) have to be added to the scale.

For example, in the key of D MAJOR there are only two signs - two sharps (F-sharp and C-sharp), and in the key of LA MAJOR there are already three sharps (F, C and G). Or in the key of D MINOR - one flat (B-flat), and in F MINOR - as many as four flats (si, mi, la and re).

Now let's ask a question? Are all the keys really, really different and there are no scales that are similar to each other? And is there really a huge unbridgeable gulf between major and minor? It turns out, no, they have connections and similarities, more on that later.

Parallel Keys

What do the words "parallel" or "parallelism" mean? Here are such well-known expressions to you as “parallel lines” or “ a parallel world". Parallel is one that exists simultaneously with something and is similar to this something. And the word “parallel” is very similar to the word “pair”, that is, two objects, two things, or some other pair are always parallel to each other.

Parallel lines are two lines that are in the same plane, are similar to each other like two drops of water and do not intersect (they are related, but do not intersect - well, isn't it dramatic?). Remember, in geometry, parallel lines are denoted by two strokes (// like this), in music, too, such a designation will be acceptable.

So, here are parallel keys - these are two keys that are similar to each other. There is quite a lot in common between them, but there are also significant differences. What common? They have absolutely all sounds in common. Since the sounds all coincide, it means that all signs must be the same - sharps and flats. So it is: parallel keys have the same signs.

For example, let's take two keys C MAJOR and A MINOR - both there and there there are no signs, all sounds coincide, which means that these keys are parallel.

Another example. The key of MI-FLAT MAJOR with three flats (si, mi, la) and the key of C MINOR also with the same three flats. Again we see parallel keys.

What then is the difference between these tonalities? And you yourself carefully look at the names (C MAJOR // A MINOR). What do you think? You see, after all, one key is major, and the second is minor. In the example with the second pair (MI-FLAT MAJOR // C MINOR), the same is true: one is major, the other is minor. This means that parallel keys have the opposite modal inclination, the opposite mode. One key will always be major, and the second - minor. That's right: opposites attract!

What else is different? The C-MAJOR scale starts with the note DO, that is, the note DO in it is the tonic. The A MINOR scale begins, as you understand, with the note LA, which is the tonic in this key. That is, what happens? The sounds in these keys are absolutely the same, but they have different supreme commanders, different tonics. Here is the second difference.

Let's draw some conclusions. So, parallel keys are two keys that have the same scale sounds, the same signs (sharps or flats), but the tonics differ and the mode is opposite (one is major, the other is minor).

More examples of parallel keys:

• D MAJOR // B MINOR (both there and there are two sharps - F and C);
• A MAJOR // F SHARP MINOR (three sharps in each key);
• F MAJOR // D MINOR (one common flat - B flat);
• B FLAT MAJOR // G MINOR (two flats both there and here - si and mi).

How to find parallel key?

If you want to know how to determine the parallel key, then let's find out the answer to this question empirically. And then we will formulate the rule.

Just imagine: C MAJOR and A MINOR are parallel keys. And now tell me: at what level BEFORE MAJOR is the “entrance to the parallel world”? Or, in other words, what degree of C MAJOR is the tonic of the parallel minor?

Now let's do it topsy-turvy. How to get out of the gloomy A MINOR into the parallel sunny and joyful C MAJOR? Where is the "portal" to go to the parallel world this time? In other words, which degree of the minor is the tonic of the parallel major?

The answers are simple. In the first case: the sixth degree is the tonic of the parallel minor. In the second case: the third degree can be considered the tonic of the parallel major. By the way, it is not at all necessary to get to the sixth degree of the major for a long time (that is, to count six steps from the first), it is enough to go down three steps from the tonic and we will get to this sixth degree in the same way.

Let's formulate now RULE(but not final yet). So, to find the tonic of the parallel minor, it is enough to go down three steps from the first step of the original major key. To find the tonic of the parallel major, on the contrary, you need to go up three steps.

Check this rule with other examples. Do not forget that they have signs. And when we go up or down the steps, we must pronounce these signs, that is, take them into account.

For example, let's find parallel minor for the key of G MAJOR. This key contains one sharp (F-sharp), which means that there will also be one sharp in the parallel. We go down three steps from SOL: SOL, F-SHARP, MI. STOP! MI is just the note we need; this is the sixth step and this is the entrance to the parallel minor! This means that the key parallel to G MAJOR will be MI MINOR.

Another example. Let's find a parallel key for F MINOR. There are four flats in this key (si, mi, la and re-flat). Climb up three steps to open the door to parallel major. Stepping: F, G, A-FLAT. STOP! A-FLAT - here it is the desired sound, here it is the cherished key! A FLAT MAJOR is the key that is parallel to F MINOR.

How to determine parallel tonality even faster?

How can you find the parallel major or minor even easier? And, especially, if we do not know what signs in general are there in this key? And let's find out again with examples!

We have just identified the following parallels: G MAJOR // E MINOR and F MINOR // A FLAT MAJOR. And now let's see what is the distance between the tonics of parallel keys. Distance in music is measured, and if you understand the topic well, then you can easily figure out that the interval we are interested in is a minor third.

Between the sounds SOL and MI (down) there is a small third, because we go through three steps, and one and a half tones. Between FA and A-FLAT (up) is also a small third. And between the tonics of others parallel scales, there will also be an interval of a minor third.

It turns out the following RULE(simplified and final): to find a parallel key, you need to set aside a minor third from the tonic - up if we are looking for a parallel major, or down if we are looking for a parallel minor.

Practice (you can skip if everything is clear)

Exercise: find parallel keys for C SHARP MINOR, B FLAT MINOR, B MAJOR, F SHARP MAJOR.

Solution: you need to build small thirds. So, the small third from C-SHARP upwards is C-SHARP and MI, which means that MI MAJOR will be a parallel key. From B-FLAT it also builds a small third up, because we are looking for a parallel major, we get - D-FLAT MAJOR.

To find the parallel minor, we put the thirds down. So, a minor third from SI gives us G-SHARN MINOR, parallel to SI MAJOR. From F-SHARP, a small third down gives the sound D-SHARP and, accordingly, the system D-SHARP MINOR.

Answers: C-SHARP MINOR // MI MAJOR; B-FLAT MINOR // D-FLAT MAJOR; B MAJOR // G SHARP MINOR; F SHARP MAJOR // D SHARP MINOR.

Are there many pairs of such keys?

In total, three dozen keys are used in music, half of them (15) are major, and the second half (another 15) are minor, and, you know, not a single key is alone, everyone has a pair. That is, it turns out that in total there are 15 pairs of keys that have the same signs. Agree, 15 pairs are easier to remember than 30 individual scales?

Further - even harder! Of the 15 pairs, seven pairs are sharp (from 1 to 7 sharps), seven pairs are flat (from 1 to 7 flats), one pair is like a “white crow” without signs. It seems that you can easily name these two clean tonalities without signs. Isn't it C MAJOR with A MINOR?

That is, now you need to remember not 30 scary keys with mysterious signs, and not even 15 slightly less frightening pairs, but just the magic code “1 + 7 + 7”. We will now place all these keys in a table for clarity. In this table of keys, it will immediately become clear who is parallel to whom, how many characters and which ones.

Table of parallel keys with their signs

PARALLEL KEYS		THEIR SIGNS
MAJOR	MINOR	HOW MANY SIGNS	WHAT SIGNS
KEYS WITHOUT SIGNS (1//1)
C major	La Minor	no signs	no signs
KEYS WITH SHARP (7//7)
G major	E minor	1 sharp	F
D major	B minor	2 sharps	fa to
A major	F-sharp minor	3 sharps	fa to sol
E major	C-sharp minor	4 sharps	F to Sol D
B major	G-sharp minor	5 sharps	fa do sol re la
F sharp major	D sharp minor	6 sharps	fa do sol re la mi
C sharp major	A-sharp minor	7 sharps	fa do sol re la mi si
KEYS WITH FLAT (7//7)
F major	D minor	1 flat	si
B flat major	G minor	2 flat	si mi
E flat major	C minor	3 flat	si mi la
A flat major	F minor	4 flat	si mi la re
D flat major	B flat minor	5 flat	si mi la re sol
G flat major	E-flat minor	6 flat	si mi la re sol do
C flat major	A flat minor	7 flat	si mi la re sol do fa

You can download the same table in a more convenient form for use as a cheat sheet in pdf format for printing -

That's all for now. In the next issues, you will learn what the keys of the same name are, as well as how to quickly and permanently remember the signs in the keys, and what is the method for quickly identifying the signs if you have forgotten them.

Well, now we offer you to watch a hand-drawn animated film with amazing music by Mozart. Once Mozart looked out the window and saw that a military regiment was passing along the street. A real military regiment in brilliant uniforms, with flutes and Turkish drums. The beauty and grandeur of this spectacle so shocked Mozart that on the same day he composed his famous "Turkish March" (final piano sonata 11) is a work known throughout the world.

W. A. ​​Mozart "Turkish March"

Let's find out today what tonality is. To impatient readers I say at once: key- this is the fixing of the position of the musical mode for musical tones determined by the height of the sound, binding to a specific section of the musical scale. Then do not be too lazy to understand thoroughly.

Word " key You must have heard it already, right? Singers sometimes complain about the uncomfortable tonality, asking them to raise or lower the pitch of the song. Well, someone may have heard this word from car drivers, who call the sound of a running engine a tone. Let's say we pick up speed, and immediately feel that the engine noise becomes more shrill - it changes its tone. Finally, I’ll name something that each of you has certainly encountered - this is a conversation in raised tones (the person just started yelling, changed the “tonality” of his speech and everyone immediately felt the effect).

Now let's get back to our definition. So we call tone pitch of a musical scale . About what frets are and about their device, it is written in detail in the article. Let me remind you that the most common modes in music are major and minor, they consist of seven steps, the main of which is the first (the so-called tonic).

Tonic and mode - the two most important measurements of tonality

About what tonality is, you got an idea, now let's move on to the components of tonality. For any tonality, two properties are decisive - its tonic and its mode. I recommend remembering the following:

This rule can be correlated, for example, with the name of keys, which appear in this form: F major, A-flat major, B minor, C-sharp minor, etc.. That is, the name of the key reflects that one of the sounds has become the center, the tonic (first step) of one of the modes (major or minor).

Key signs in keys

The choice of one or another key for recording a piece of music determines which signs will be displayed at the key. The appearance of key signs - sharps and flats - is due to the fact that, on the basis of a given tonic, a fret grows that regulates the distance between the steps (distance in semitones and tones) and which makes some steps go down, while others, on the contrary, go up.

For comparison, I offer you 7 major and 7 minor keys, the tonics of which are the main steps (by white keys). Compare, for example, the tones C major and C minor how many characters in in D major and what are the key signs in in D minor etc.

So you see that the key signs in in A major- these are three sharps (fa, do and salt), and in in A minor there are no signs; E major- tonality with four sharps (fa, do, salt and re), and in in E minor only one sharp on the key. All this is because in the minor, compared to the major, the low third, sixth and seventh steps are a kind of mode indicators.

In order to remember which key signs are in keys and never get confused in them, you need to master a couple of simple principles. More about this in the article. You will read it and learn, for example, that sharps and flats in the key are not written at random, but in a certain, easy-to-remember order, and also that this very order helps to instantly orient in all the variety of keys ...

Parallel and eponymous keys

It's time to find out what are parallel and what are the keys of the same name. We have already encountered the keys of the same name, just when we were comparing major and minor keys.

Keys of the same name- these are keys in which the same tonic, but a different mode. For example, B major and B minor, G major and G minor, etc.

Parallel Keys- these are keys in which the same key signs, but different tonics. We also saw such ones: for example, tonality C major no signs and La Minor too, or G major with one sharp and E minor also with one sharp, in in F major one flat (si) and in in D minor also one sign - b-flat.

Similar and parallel keys always exist in the major-minor pair. For any of the keys, one can name the eponymous and parallel major or minor. Everything is clear with the namesake ones, but now we will deal with the parallel ones.

How to find parallel key?

The tonic of the parallel minor is on the sixth degree of the major scale, and the tonic of the major of the same name is on the third degree of the minor. For example, we are looking for a parallel tonality for in E major: sixth step in in E major- note C-sharp, means tonality, parallel E major - C-sharp minor. Another example: looking for a parallel for in F minor- we count three steps and get a parallel A flat major.

There is another way to find parallel tonality. The rule applies: the tonic of the parallel key is a minor third down (if we are looking for a parallel minor), or a minor third up (if we are looking for a parallel major). What is a third, how to build it, and all other issues related to intervals are discussed in the article.

Summarize

The article dealt with the questions: what is tonality, what are parallel and eponymous keys, what role do tonic and mode play, and how do key signs appear in keys.

Finally, there is one more interesting fact. There is one musical-psychological phenomenon - the so-called color hearing. What is color hearing? This is the form absolute pitch when a person associates each key with any color. Composers N.A. had color hearing. Rimsky-Korsakov and A.N. Scriabin. Perhaps you will discover this amazing ability in yourself.

I wish you the best in your future music studies. Leave your questions in the comments. Now I propose to take a break and watch a video from the film "Rewriting Beethoven" with the brilliant music of the composer's 9th symphony, the tonality of which, by the way, is already familiar to you D minor.

"Rewriting Beethoven" - Symphony No. 9 (amazing music)

Leonid Gurulev, Dmitry Nizyaev

SUSTAINABLE SOUNDS.

listening or doing musical composition, You probably noted somewhere in the subconscious that the sounds of the melody are in a certain ratio among themselves. If this ratio did not exist, then one could simply beat something obscene on the keys (strings, etc.), and a melody would be obtained, from which those around would be thrilled (from the word somlet). This relationship is expressed primarily in the fact that in the process of development of music (melody), some sounds, standing out from the general mass, acquire the character support sounds. The melody usually ends on one of these reference sounds.

Reference sounds are called stable sounds. Such a definition of reference sounds corresponds to their character, since the end of the melody on the reference sound gives the impression of stability, peace.

One of the most enduring sounds usually stands out more than others. He is like the main support. This sustained sound is called tonic. Here listen first example(I intentionally left out tonic). You will immediately want to finish the melody, and I am sure that even if you did not know the melody, you would be able to put the note correctly. Looking ahead, I will say that this feeling is called gravity sounds. Test yourself by listening second example .

In contrast to stable sounds, other sounds involved in the formation of a melody are called unstable. Unstable sounds are characterized by a state of gravity (which I just spoke about above), as if attraction, to the nearest stable ones, as if they tend to connect with these supports. I will give a musical example of the same song "There was a birch in the field." Steady sounds are marked with a ">".

The transition from an unstable sound to a stable one is called resolution.

From the foregoing, we can conclude that in music the relationship of sounds in height is subject to a certain pattern or system. This system is called LADOM (lad). At the heart of a separate melody and a piece of music as a whole, there is always a certain mode, which is the organizing principle of the pitch ratio of sounds in music, gives, together with others expressive means, a certain character corresponding to its content.

For practical application(what kind of theory without practice, right?) of the material presented, play any exercises that we studied with you in guitar or piano lessons, and mentally mark stable and unstable sounds.

MAJOR MODE. NATURAL MAJOR GAMMA. STAGES OF THE MAJOR MODE. NAMES, DESIGNATIONS AND PROPERTIES OF THE STAGES OF THE MAJOR MODE

IN folk music there are different modes. Classical music (Russian and foreign) to some extent reflected folk art, and consequently, the variety of modes inherent in it, but nevertheless the major and minor modes have received the most widespread use.

Major(major, literally, means b O Lsh) is a mode whose stable sounds (in sequential or simultaneous sound) form a large or major triad - a consonance consisting of three sounds. The sounds of a major triad are arranged in thirds: a major third is between the lower and middle sounds, and a small one is between the middle and upper sounds. Between the extreme sounds of the triad, an interval of a pure fifth is formed.

For example:

A major triad built on a tonic is called a tonic triad.

Unstable sounds in such a fret are located between stable ones.

The major mode consists of seven sounds, or, as they are commonly called, steps.

The successive series of sounds of the mode (starting from the tonic and to the tonic of the next octave) is called the scale of the mode or scale.

The sounds that make up the scale are called steps, because the scale itself is quite clearly associated with the stairs.

Scale steps are indicated by Roman numerals:

They form a sequence of intervals of a second. The order of steps and seconds is as follows: b.2, b.2, m.2, b.2, b.2, b.2, m.2 (that is, two tones, semitone, three tones, semitone).

Do you remember the piano keyboard? It is very clearly visible where the tone is in the major scale, and where the semitone is. Let's look more specifically.

That's where there are black keys between the white ones, that's where the tone is, and where there isn't, then the distance between the sounds is equal to a semitone. Why, you ask, do you need to know this? Here you try to play (by pressing alternately) first from the note Before up to a note Before the next octave (try to remember the result by ear). And then the same from all other notes, without resorting to the help of derivatives ("black") keys. Get something wrong. In order to bring everything into the same decent form, it is necessary to maintain the scheme tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone. Let's try to make a major scale from the note Re. Recall that you first need to build two tones. So, Re-Mi is the tone. Very good. And here mi-fa... stop! There is no "black" key between them. The distance between sounds is half a tone, but we need a tone. What to do? The answer is simple - raise the note F half a step up (we get F-sharp). Let's repeat: Re - Mi - F-sharp. That is, if we needed an intermediate key between the steps, and there was no black one between them, then let the white key play this intermediate role - and the step itself "moves" to the black one. Then half a tone is required, and we got it ourselves (between F-sharp And salt becar just half a ton distance), it turned out Re - Mi - F-sharp - Sol. Continuing to strictly adhere to the major scale scheme (let me remind you again: tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone) we get Re- major scale , sounding exactly the same as the gamma sounded from BEFORE:

A scale with the above order of steps is called a natural major scale, and a mode expressed by this order is called a natural major. Major can be not only natural, so such a clarification is useful. In addition to the digital designation, each step of the mode has an independent name:

Stage I - tonic (T),
Stage II - descending introductory sound,
Stage III - mediant (middle),
Stage IV - subdominant (S),
Stage V - dominant (D),
VI step - submediant (lower mediant),
VII step - ascending introductory sound.

Tonic, subdominant and dominant are called the main steps, the rest are side steps. Remember, please, these three numbers: I, IV and V are the main steps. Don't be embarrassed by the fact that they are located in the scale so whimsically, without visible symmetry. There are fundamental justifications for this, the nature of which you will learn from the lessons on harmony on our website.

The dominant (in translation - dominating) is located as a pure fifth above the tonic. Between them is the third step, which is why it is called the median (middle). The subdominant (lower dominant) is located a fifth below the tonic, hence its name, and the submedian is located between the subdominant and the tonic. Below is a diagram of the location of these steps:

The introductory sounds got their name in connection with their attraction to the tonic. The lower introductory sound gravitates in an upward direction, while the upper introductory sound gravitates in a downward direction.

It was said above that in major there are three stable sounds - these are I, III and V steps. Their degree of stability is not the same. The first step - the tonic - is the main reference sound and therefore the most stable. Stages III and V are less stable. The II, IV, VI and VII degrees of the major scale are unstable. The degree of their instability is different. It depends: 1) on the distance between unstable and stable sounds; 2) on the degree of stability of the sound to which gravity is directed. Less sharpness of gravity is manifested at the steps: VI to V, II to III and IV to V.

For an example of gravity, let's listen to two options for resolving sounds. First- for major keys, and second for minors. We will still study the minor in the next lessons, but for now, try to take it by ear. Now doing practical lessons, try to find stable and unstable steps and their resolutions.

KEY. MAJOR KEYS SHAPED AND FLAT. QUINT CIRCLE. ENHARMONISM OF MAJOR KEYS

A natural major scale can be built from any step (both basic and derivative) of the musical scale (provided that the system of steps arrangement that we discussed above is preserved in it). This possibility - to get the desired scale from any key - is the main property, and the main purpose of the "tempered scale", in which all semitones in an octave are completely equal. The fact is that this system is artificial, obtained as a result of purposeful calculations specifically for this purpose. Prior to this discovery, the so-called "natural" scale was used in music, which did not at all have the dignity of symmetry and reversibility. Wherein musical science was simply incredibly complex and unsystematic, and was reduced to a set of personal opinions and feelings, akin to philosophy or psychology ... In addition, in the conditions of a natural system, musicians did not have the physical ability to play music so freely in any key, at any height, because that with an increase in the number of accidentals, the sound became catastrophically false. Tempered (that is, "uniform") system gave the musicians the opportunity not to depend on the absolute pitch of the sound, and to lead musical theory almost to the level of exact science.

The absolute (i.e., irrelevant) height at which the tonic of the mode is located is called tonality. The name of the tonality comes from the name of the sound that serves as the tonic in it. The name of the key is made up of the designation of tonic and mode, that is, for example, the word major. For example: C major, G major, etc.

Major scale tonality built from sound before, is called C major. Its peculiarity among other keys is that its scale consists of just the main steps of the musical scale, that is, simply, only of the white keys of the piano. Recall the structure of the major scale (two tones, semitone, three tones, semitone).

If you build a pure fifth upwards from the note C, and try to build a new major scale from the received fifth (the note G), it turns out that the VII degree (note F) must be raised by half a tone. Let us conclude that in the key of G-dur, i.e. G major, one key sign - F-sharp. If now we want to play a piece in C major in this new key(well, for example, due to the fact that your voice is too low and uncomfortable to sing in C major), then, having rewritten all the notes of the song by the required number of lines higher, we will have to raise each note of the FA that falls in the notes by half a tone, otherwise nonsense will sound. It is for this purpose that the concept of key signs exists. We just need to draw one sharp at the key - on the line where the note FA is written - and after that the whole song, as it were, automatically appears in the correct scale for the tonic SOL. Now let's move on down the beaten track. From the note Sol we build up a fifth (we get the note Re), and from it we again build a major scale, although we can no longer build, since we already know that we need to raise the seventh step. The seventh step is the note Do. The collection of sharps in the key with you and me is gradually growing - in addition to F-sharp, C-sharp is also added. These are the key signs of the key in D major. And this will continue until we use all 7 characters in the key. For training, those who wish (although I advise everyone) can make an experiment of the same order. Those. (repeat) from the note to we build a fifth up, using the scheme: tone-tone, semitone, tone-tone-tone, semitone - we calculate the structure of the major scale. From the received note, we again build a fifth up ... and so we continue until the money runs out ... oh, sharps. You should not be embarrassed when, during the next construction of the key, you find that the tonic sound itself is on the black key. It will only mean that this sharp will be mentioned in the name of the key - "F-sharp major" - everything else will work exactly the same. In principle, no one can forbid you to continue this construction AND AFTER the seventh sharp is written at the key. The theory of music does not forbid the existence of any kind of keys - even with a hundred signs. It's just that the eighth character at the key will inevitably turn out to be "fa" again - and you will only have to replace the very first "fa-sharp" with the "double-sharp" sign. With these experiments, you can get, for example, a major with 12 sharps - "B-sharp major", and find that this is nothing more than "C-major" - the whole scale will be again on the white keys. Of course, all these "experiments" are only of theoretical significance, since in practice it would never occur to anyone to clutter up his notes with signs just to be in C major again...

I bring to your attention a drawing to familiarize yourself with all these sharps, stable and unstable sounds in each key. Please remember that the order of "appearance" of sharps is strictly regulated. Learn by heart: Fa-Do-Sol-Re-La-Mi-Si .

Let's go the other way. If from a note Before build a fifth, but already down, we get a note F. From this note, we will begin to build a major scale according to our scheme. And we will see that the fourth step (that is, the note si) already needs to be downgraded (try building it yourself), i.e. b flat. Having built the gamma F major from tonic (note F) again build the quint down ( B flat)... I recommend to build all the keys completely for practice. And I will give you a picture of everything flat tonality. The order of appearance (arrangement) of key flats is also strict. Please memorize: C-Mi-La-Re-Sol-Do-Fa , that is, the order reversed to sharp.

And now let's pay attention to stable sounds (any key to choose from). They form the major triad of the tonic (question for repetition: what is the tonic?). Well, we have already slightly touched on the vast topic of "Chords". Let's not get ahead of ourselves, but please learn how to build tonic triads (in this case- major) from any note. By doing this, you will also learn how to build, so to speak, the tonic chord - the main chord - of any key.

HARMONIC AND MELODIC MAJOR

In music, one can often find the use of major with a lowered VI degree. This type of major scale is called harmonic major. By lowering the VI degree by a semitone, its attraction to the V degree becomes sharper and gives the major mode a peculiar sound. Try playing the scale, for example, C major with a reduced VI stage. First, let me help you. We calculate that the VI step in this key C major- this is a note La, which must be lowered by a semitone ( A-flat). That's all wisdom. Do the same for the other keys. When playing a scale, that is, an uninterrupted sequence of steps, you will immediately feel that at the end of the scale it begins to smell of some kind of exotic. The reason for this is the new interval formed when the VI step was lowered: an increased second. The presence of such an unexpected interval gives the fret such an unusual color. Harmonic modes are inherent in many national cultures: Tatar, Japanese, and in general almost all Asian countries.

The melodic variety of the major scale is formed by lowering two degrees of the natural scale at once: VI and VII. Due to this, both of these notes (both of them are unstable) acquire a forced attraction to the lower stable - to the V degree. If you lose and sing such a scale from top to bottom, you will feel how a special melody, softness, length, inextricable connection of notes into one melodious melody appeared in its upper half. It is because of this effect that such a mode was called "melodic".

MINOR MODE. THE CONCEPT OF PARALLEL KEYS.

Minor(minor, in the literal sense of the word, means less) is a mode, the stable sounds of which (in sequential or simultaneous sound) form small or minor triad. I propose to listen major And minor chords. Compare by ear their sound and difference. A major chord sounds more "cheerful", and a minor one is more lyrical (remember the expression: "minor mood"?). The interval composition of the minor triad: m3 + b3 (minor third + major third). We will not bother with the structure of the minor scale, because we can get by with the concept parallel tones. Take for example the usual tone C major(the favorite key of beginner musicians, because there is not a single sign with the key). Let's build from the tonic (sound - Before) down a minor third. Let's get a note La. As I just said, neither sharps nor flats are observed in the key. Let's famously run through the keyboard (strings) from the note La to the next note La up. So we got the natural minor scale. Now let's remember: keys are called parallel if they have the SAME signs at the key. For each major there is one and only one parallel minor - and vice versa. All keys in the world, therefore, exist in pairs of "major-minor", as if two scales moving in parallel along the same keys, but with a delay of a third. Hence the name "parallel". In particular, the parallel tonality for C major is La Minor(also a favorite key for beginners, because there is not a single key sign here either) Tonic triad in A minor. Let's build up from the note La small third, we get a note Before, and then an even larger third already from the note Before, eventually sound Mi. So, the minor triad in A minor: La - Do - Mi.

Try to find yourself parallel keys for all the major modes that we went through above. The main thing to remember is that 1. you need to build from the tonic (the main stable sound) down the minor third to find a new tonic; 2. key signs in a parallel key remain the same.

Briefly, for practice, let's look at another example. Tonality - F major. With the key - one character ( b flat). From note F building down a minor third - note Re. Means, D minor is a parallel tone F major and has a key sign - b flat. Tonic triad in D minor: Re - Fa - La.

So, in the parallel keys of the natural scale, the key signs are the same. We have already learned this. What about harmonics? Somewhat differently. Harmonic the minor differs from the natural one by an elevated VII degree, which was caused by the need to sharpen the gravity of the ascending introductory sound. If you look closely or listen, you will easily find that the harmonic major and the same harmonic minor, built from the same key, completely coincide in the upper half of the scale - the same augmented second on the VI degree of the scale. Just in order to get this interval in the major, you have to lower the VI step. But in the minor this step is already low, but the VII step can be raised.

Let's agree that the number of key signs for all keys must be remembered by heart. Based on this, for example, in D minor (the key sign is b flat) increased VII stage - C sharp.

Above in the figure you can see visually. And now let's hear (although you can lose yourself) how it will sound. a-moll And d minor. If you take a closer look at viewing and listening, you can see that the dominant triad in harmonic minor is major. I'm losing to you now three chords: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant and Tonic in harmonic A-minor. Do you hear? So work out the structure of these three chords in all minor keys. By doing this, you will achieve automatism in determining the main triads in any key. We already know how to build major and minor triads, if you forgot - let's repeat and clarify.

We build a tonic triad: we determine the mode (major, minor), and we proceed from this. We build a major (minor) triad. Major: b.3 + m.3, minor - m.3 + b.3. Now we need to find a subdominant. We build a quart up from the tonic - we get the main sound, from which we will build a triad. IN F major- This b flat. And from b flat already building a major triad. We are now looking for a dominator. From the tonic - a fifth up. In the same key Dominant - Before. Well, the triad C major to build - it is already easy for us. Parallel tonality F major - D minor. We build the tonic (T), subdominant (S) and dominant (D) in a minor key. I remind you that in harmonic and melodic minor, the dominant is a major triad. Melodic the minor differs from the natural minor in the increased both VI and VII steps (play it on the piano or guitar, in extreme cases in a MIDI editor). And in the melodic major, on the contrary, a decrease in the same steps occurs.

Major and minor, which have the same tonic, are called eponymous(same tone C major - C minor, A major - A minor and so on.).

As already mentioned, the expressive possibilities of music are made up of the interaction of various means that it has at its disposal. Among them great importance in the transfer of music of a certain content and character, it has a harmony. Remember, I gave an example of the sound of a major triad and a minor one. Let me remind you, on occasion, that the major, so to speak, is more cheerful, and the minor is more sad, dramatic, lyrical. Therefore - you can experiment for yourself - a major melody played from the same key, but using a minor scale (or vice versa), acquires a completely different color, although it remains the same melody.

Music theory includes a huge amount of diverse terminology. Tone is fundamental professional term. On this page you can find out what tonality is, how to determine it, what varieties there are, and also Interesting Facts, exercises, and a way to change the key in the backing track.

Basic moments

Imagine you decide to play a piece of music. You found the notes, and when parsing the musical text, you noticed that after the key there are sharps or flats. We need to figure out what they mean. Key signs are accidentals that persist throughout the performance. musical composition. According to the rules, they are set after the key, but before the size (See Figure No. 1), and are duplicated on each subsequent line. Key signs are necessary not only to avoid constantly writing them near the notes, which takes a lot of time, but also so that the musician can determine the key in which the work is written.

Figure #1

The piano, like many other instruments, is tempered. In this system, the units of calculation can be taken as a tone and a semitone. Thanks to the division into these units, from each sound on the keyboard, it is possible to form a tonality, either major or minor. This is how the modal formulas of major and minor were invented (See Figure 2).

Figure #2

It is according to these scale formulas that one can build a tonality from any sound, either in major or in minor. Sequential reproduction of notes according to these formulas is called a scale. Many musicians play scales in order to quickly navigate the keys and key signs with them.

The tonality consists of two components: the name of the sound (for example, to) and the modal inclination (major or minor). To build a scale, you need to select one of the sounds on the keyboard and play from it according to the formula, either major or minor.

Strengthening exercises

1. Try to play the major scale from the "D" sound. Use the ratio of tones and semitones when playing. Check for correctness.
2. Try playing the minor scale from the "mi" sound. It is necessary to play according to the proposed formula.
3. Try playing scales from different sounds in different moods. First in slow pace, then faster ones.

Varieties

Some keys may have a certain relationship with each other. Then they can be included in the following classifications:

• parallel tones. A feature is the same number of key signs, but a different modal inclination. In fact, the set of sounds is absolutely identical, the difference lies only in the sound of the tonic. For example, the keys of C major and A minor are parallel, they have the same number of key signs, but different modal inclination and tonic sound. There is a parallel-variable mode, which is characterized by the fact that there are two parallel keys in the work, and they constantly change the mode, then to major, then to minor. This mode is typical for Russian folk music.
• The eponymous have a common tonic sound, but at the same time a different modal inclination and key signs. Example: D major (2 keys), D minor (1 key).
• One-terts have a common third (that is, the third sound in a triad), they are no longer united by either the tonic, or key signs, or mode. Usually, the one-tertz minor is located a small second or a semitone higher than the major. Accordingly, the one-tertz major in relation to the minor is located lower by a small second or a semitone. An example is the keys of C major and C-sharp minor, in the triads of these chords the sound “mi” coincides.

Strengthening exercises

Determine how the two tones relate to each other. Put the appropriate number next to the example:

1. Parallel
2. namesake
3. Single Tertsovye

Questions:

• B major and h minor
• A major and a minor
• G-dur and e-moll

Check your own knowledge.

Answers: 3, 2, 1.

Interesting Facts

• How musical term originated at the beginning of the 19th century. It was introduced by Alexander Etienne Choron in his own writings.
• There is a "color" hearing, which is characterized by the fact that a person associates a certain tonality with a specific color. The recipients of this gift were Rimsky-Korsakov And Scriabin.
• IN contemporary art there is atonal music that does not take into account the principles of tonal stability.
• English terminology uses the following designation for parallel keys - relative keys. In a literal translation, these are “related” or “related”. The same names are designated as parallel keys, which can be perceived as parallel. Often, when translating specific literature, translators make an error in this matter.
• Symbolism classical music fixed a certain meaning for some keys. So Des-dur is true love, B-dur defines handsome men, heroes, and e-moll - grief.

Tonality table

sharp

Flat

How to determine the tone of a piece

You can find out the main key for the composition using the plan below:

1. Look for key signs.
2. Find in the table.
3. It can be two keys: major and minor. To determine which mode you need to look at, what sound the piece ends with.

There are ways to make searching easier:

• For major in sharp keys: last sharp + m2 = key name. So, if the extreme key sign is C-sharp, then it will be D major.
• For flat major keys: penultimate flat = desired key. So if there are three key signs, then the penultimate one will be E-flat - this will be the desired key.

You can use both standard methods and the ones above. The main thing is to learn how to correctly determine the tone and navigate in it.

Strengthening exercises

Determine the tone by key signs.

Major

Minor

Answers: 1. D major 2. As major 3. C major

1. Cis minor 2. B minor 3. E minor

Circle of fifths

The circle of fifths is a special schematically presented information in which all keys are located at a distance of a perfect fifth clockwise, and a perfect fourth counterclockwise.

Major triads in key

Let's start with what a major and minor triad is, and how they are built. Regardless of the mood, a triad is a chord consisting of three sounds, which are arranged in thirds. A major triad is denoted as B 5 3, and consists of a major third and a minor. A minor triad is designated as M 5 3, and consists of a minor and a major third.

From each note in the key, you can build triads.

The main triads in the key are such chords that show this major or minor inclination. On the first, fourth and fifth, triads are built corresponding to the modal mood. That is, in a major, major triads are built on these steps, and in a minor, respectively, minor ones. The main triads for each step have their own names, or as they are also called functions. So on the first step is the tonic, on the fourth is the subdominant, and on the fifth is the dominant. They are usually abbreviated as T, S and D.

Related keys

There is such a thing as tonal relationship. The greater the difference in signs, the further the relationship. Depending on the systems, 3 or 4 degrees are distinguished. Consider the most popular system, which divides keys into 3 degrees of relationship.

Relation degree
Group
Sign difference
What keys	parallel	S, D and their parallels	S Harm for Major	Keys on b.2 ↓ and their parallels	Major Major– m2, m3, b3 ↓ and Minor ss harm. - on b2↓ and the minor of the same name	Minor Minor– m2, m3, b3 ↓ and Major DD to b2 and major of the same name	For major uv1, uv2, uv4 and uv5, for minor the same intervals ↓.	Tritonante and its parallel

First group divided into 3 categories:

1. This is a parallel tone. The difference in signs is 0. These keys combine six common chords. Example: F major and D minor.
2. 4 tones. Between the main and final tonality, the difference is one sign. These are the keys of the subdominant and dominant, as well as parallel to S and D. An example, for the key of G major: S - C major, parallel S - A minor, D - D major, parallel D - B minor.
3. Considered only for major keys. A difference of 4 signs is a harmonic subdominant. An example for C-dur - the harmonic subdominant - is F minor.

Second group kinship is divided into 2 subgroups:

1. 4 tones. The difference is two key signs. It is easy to find these keys from the main one; they are located a large second above and below + the parallels found. Example: the main key is A major. Up and down by a major second or tone tone scales: B minor and G major. Parallels for the keys found: these are D major and E minor.
2. Difference of signs from three to five. Finding the key will depend on whether the key is major or minor.

• Dur: 6 major and 2 minor: above and below by m2, m3 and b3; ss is a harmonic, located b2 lower, as well as a minor of the same name. Example for G-dur: As-dur, B-dur, H-dur, Fis-dur, E-dur, Es-dur and f-moll and g-moll.
• Moll: 6 minor and 2 major: for a minor second, minor third and b3 above and below; DD is a major second higher and the major of the same name.

Third group is divided into 2 groups:

1. 3 keys that do not have a single common chord, the difference is 3-5 signs in the opposite direction. For a major, it is necessary to find the minors higher by the following intervals, and for the minor, the majors at SW.1, SW.4 and SW.5 are lower.
2. Tritonanta and its parallel. There is a tritone from the original tonic, for C-dur - Fis-dur.

Depending on the degree in harmony, there are many ways of modulation.

How to change the key in backing tracks

It happens that the tonality is either too high for the voice, or too low. To make music sound beautiful, you need to use modern technologies and programs to make the backing track convenient, that is, transpose it to the required interval lower or higher. Let's figure out how to change the key in backing tracks or compositions. We will work in the Audacity program.

• Opening Audacity

• Click on the "File" section. Select "Open..."

• Select the desired audio recording
• Press CTRL+A to select the entire track.
• Click on the "Effects" section, select "Change Pitch ..."

• We set the number of semitones: when increasing, the value is above zero, when decreasing, the value is less than zero. You can choose a specific tone.

• We save the result. Open the "File" section, select "Export Audio..."

We hope that the page was useful for reading and now you know what key is, understand their types and can transpose a piece of music using special program. Read other articles on music literacy and improve your own knowledge.