Three notes · 1 ♭3 5 · pure 10:12:15
The minor chord
A minor chord is a root, the minor third 3 semitones above it, and the fifth 7 semitones above. It often sounds darker and softer than major, though it can be just as strong.
How it's built
Stack a minor third, then a major third: on C that's C, E♭ and G. It's the major chord with its middle note a semitone lower, and nothing else changes. The two thirds simply swap places: major has the major third at the bottom, minor has it at the top.
Singing it in tune
Tuned pure, the chord is 10:12:15. The minor third, 6:5, sits 15.6 cents (a cent is a hundredth of a semitone) higher than the piano's, and the fifth 2.0 cents higher. Between the third and the fifth is a pure major third, 5:4.
That's worth knowing if you sing the third: in a major chord it goes a touch low, in a minor chord a touch high. Bring the major-chord habit into a minor chord and the third goes flat, and the chord beats.
Where you hear it
In a major key, the chords on the second, third and sixth notes are minor: in C, those are D minor, E minor and A minor. A minor key's home chord is minor, and usually so is the chord on its fourth note.
A minor, the relative minor of C major, uses the same notes as C major, which is why the two trade places so easily in a song. Many old folk tunes sit in minor or a minor mode: Greensleeves is often sung in Dorian, with a raised sixth.
More chord types
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Questions
What notes are in an A minor chord?
A, C and E. It has no sharps or flats, which is why it's often the first minor chord people learn. C minor is C, E♭ and G.
What is the difference between a major and a minor chord?
One note, the third. In a major chord it's 4 semitones above the root, in a minor chord 3, and that one semitone turns a bright chord into a darker one.
Why do minor chords sound sad?
They don't always: a minor chord often sounds darker or more serious than major, but how sad it sounds depends on the tempo, the melody and what you're used to. Plenty of fast, cheerful dances are in minor keys.
Should the minor third be sung high or low?
A touch high, compared with a piano: the pure minor third is 15.6 cents wider than the piano's. In a held chord, aim a little above the piano's pitch and listen for the beating to stop.
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