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