A minor chord is a triad with a minor third and a perfect fifth above the root. The minor triad built on C is spelled C–E♭–G.

Structure

The minor chord timbre is sometimes described as darker than its major counterpart.^[3] The primary intervals in a minor chord are the minor third above the root, and the perfect fifth above the root. There is a major third between the third and fifth.^[4] It is a tertian chord because it is built in thirds.^[5]: 458

In harmonic analysis and on lead sheets, a major chord is often indicated by the letter of its root.^[6] A minor triad is represented by the integer notation {0,3,7}.^[2]

Just intonation

In just intonation, a minor chord is tuned in the frequency ratio 10:12:15, reflecting an appearance of the minor chord in the harmonic series.^[7] The ratio was refined to 10/9:4/3:5/3 by Ben Johnston.^[8] In a just scale, the triad appears on iii, vi, ♭vi, ♭iii, and vii.^[9]

A justly tuned perfect fifth is 702 cents, compared to 700 in equal temperament. The just minor third is 316 cents, where the equal interval is 300.^[5]: 455

Alternate just minor chord tunings include:

• 16:19:24^[10]
• 6:7:9^{[5]: 468 [11]}
• The Pythagorean minor triad: 54:64:81.^[10]

Georg Andreas Sorge derived the minor chord from the confluence of two major triads such as F-A-C and C-E-G. An A minor triad arises from the connection.^[12] He pointed out that overtones 10, 12, 15, and 18 of the harmonic series form a minor seventh chord.^[13]

See also

• Major and minor
• Musical tuning
• Major chord
• Otonality and Utonality

References

External links

• Minor triads explained on a virtual piano
• Minor chords explained on a virtual piano