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minor key

Ramsay
"and goes within this range, with its wondrous infoldings which so charm the ear, and which symbolise so many spiritual mysteries. These twelve major keys with their twelve minors are the musical world, and motion in the operation of 3 is not much hampered by rest controlling it in the operation of 2; and what is lost of so-called "perfect intonation" is far more than made up for in the beautiful system within system, which musical science, when fairly and fully brought into view, presents for our contemplation, and the intellect feasts along with the ear." [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 40]

The various raisings and lowerings of notes in advancing keys, major and minor. - In each fifth of the majors ascending the top of the dominant is raised a comma. A40 in the key of C becomes A40 1/2 in the key of G; E60 in the scale of G is E60 3/4 in the scale of D; B90 in the scale of D is B91 1/8 in the scale of A. This alteration of the top of the dominant major goes on through all the twelve scales. Similarly, by the Law of Duality, each fifth in the minors descending has the root of the subdominant lowered a comma. D54 in the key of E minor is D53 1/2 in the key of A; G72 in the scale of A is G71 1/9 in the scale of D; C48 in the scale of D is C47 11/27 in the scale of G. This alteration of the root of the subdominant goes on through all the twelve minor scales. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 62]

In the festoons of ellipses the signatures are given in the usual conventional way, the major F having one flat and minor E having one sharp. The major and minor keys start from these respective points, and each successive semitone is made a new keynote of a major and a minor respectively; and each ellipse in the festoons having the key shown in its two forms; for example, in the major F, one flat, or E#, eleven sharps; in the minor E, one sharp, or F♭, eleven flats. Thus is seen all the various ways that notes may be named. The four minor thirds which divide the octave may be followed from an ellipse by the curved lines on which the ellipses are hung; and these four always constitute a chromatic chord. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 115]


In the three open columns are the three chromatic chords. In the close columns are the same chromatic chords, with the same designations, on the left. The middle row of letters are the chords of the major keys; the letter with the figure being the key note. The right hand row of letters are the chords of the minor keys marked in the same way. The artist will have no difficulty in making use of the other resolutions of this abundant store; but the young student should make similar tables of the other manners of resolution; he will find abundant help for this in other parts of this work. [Scientific Basis and Build of Music, page 119]


Hughes
Helmholtz's experiments on developing colours shown to agree with the scheme
—The sounds of the Falls of Niagara are in triplets or trinities
—The Arabian system divides tones into thirds
—Two trinities springing from unity apparently the germ of never-ending developments in tones and colours
—Inequality of the equinoctial points; is the want of equilibrium the motive power of the entire universe?
—The double tones of keyed instruments, the meetings by fifths, the major and minor keys, so agree with the development of colours, that a correct eye would detect errors in a piece of coloured music
Numbers not entered upon, but develope by the same laws
Bass notes omitted in order to simplify the scheme, 18 [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Table of Contents2 - Harmonies]

I had forgotten all the minor keys, except that A is the relative minor of C major; but although I had only faint hopes of success, I determined to try, and I gained the twelve keys correctly, with the thirteenth octave. I found also that E♭ was usually printed as a minor key-note, Nature's laws having shown that it must be D#. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Dr. Gauntletts Remarks1, page 13]

Table of Keys


We pass on to the developing of the minor keys. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, The Twelve Scales Meeting by Fifths, page 31a]

THE term "key" in the minor developments must be taken in the sense in which it is understood by musicians, although it will be seen that it is only the seven of the harmony that are the relative minor keys of the majors, the scales with their chords sounding other keys. The grandeur, combined with simplicity, of the laws which develope musical harmonies are strikingly exhibited in the minor keys. Although at first they appear most paradoxical, and, comparing them with the majors, we may almost say contradictory in their laws of development, when they are in some degree understood, the intricacies disappear, and the twelve keys follow each other (with the thirteenth octave), all exactly agreeing in their mode of development. I shall endeavour to trace them as much as possible in the same manner as the majors, the lowest developments of the minor keys being notes with scales and chords, the notes always sounding their major harmonies in tones. Here an apparently paradoxical question arises. If the major keys are gained by the notes sounding the major tones, how are the minor keys obtained? Strictly speaking, there are no minor key-notes: the development of a minor harmony is but a mode of succession within the octave, caused by each minor key-note employing the sharps or flats of the fourth major key-note higher; and with this essential difference, it will be seen in how many points the developments of major and minor harmonics agree. I have carefully followed the same laws, and if any capable mind examines the results, I am prepared for severe criticism. I can only express that it was impossible to gain any other results than the seven of the harmony, the ascending and the descending scale and the chords combining three different keys. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Diagram VIII - On the Development of the Twelve Minor Harmonies, page 32]

Round the circle the eighteen tones of keyed instruments are shown; the twelve developing perfect minor keys are written thus

Half Note

, the seven white-keyed notes are coloured, the intermediate tones left uncoloured. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Diagram VIII - On the Development of the Twelve Minor Harmonies, page 32]

"I esteem myself fortunate in being introduced to you, and becoming acquainted with your beautiful work on 'Tones and Colours.' I have, to the best of my ability, worked out your idea, by writing down in music the various discords in use amongst musicians, and resolving them according to the laws of Harmony, and I find in all cases the perfect triad agrees with what you term the trinities in colours. The way in which you find the whole circle of Major and Minor keys by pairs in colours is deeply interesting, and must be true. The only point of divergence between your system and that recognised by all musicians is the ascending Minor Scale. No musically trained ear can tolerate the seventh note being a whole tone from the eighth. The Minor second in the lower octave descending is very beautiful, and it is strange how all composers feel a desire to use it. To mention one case out of hundreds, I may cite Rossini's well-known air, 'La Danza.'
"Yours faithfully,
"W. CHALMERS MASTERS." [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Supplementary Remarks and Diagrams, page 53]

My first plan was to take away entirely the present development of the Minor Keys; but, on consideration, it seems best to leave them exactly as they are, and to add fresh musical developments of the Minors, explaining them, and leaving it needless, for those who do not wish to look deeper into the subject, to examine the former development. Should they do so, however, they will see that not a single note is altered, the only difference being the Scales developing by fifths instead of by sevenths. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, Supplementary Remarks, page 54]

Remark the three-fold chord of the Trinity, the highest note is the key-note; and in the three-fold chord of the Scale, the key-note is the lowest note. These are the only two chords in each Minor key. [Harmonies of Tones and Colours, The Roots of the Minor Chords, page 61]

See Also


minor
Ramsay - PLATE VIII - The Mathematical Table of Majors and Minors and their Ratio Numbers
twelve minor keys

Created by Dale Pond. Last Modification: Thursday April 15, 2021 03:15:53 MDT by Dale Pond.