Thirds and sixths by ear
Tell major thirds and sixths from minor ones, remembering each by a song or a phrase.
Major and minor thirds
Thirds sound soft and full: major and minor are built on them. The major third is bright, the minor third dark: the same difference as between a major and a minor chord.
- Major third up: "When the Saints Go Marching In", its first two notes.
- Minor third up: "Greensleeves", its first two notes.
A major third: C4 and E4
A minor third: C4 and E♭4
Practice: Major or minor third?
Major and minor sixths
Sixths are wider than thirds but just as singable. The major sixth sounds broad and bright, the minor sixth wistful.
- Major sixth up: "My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean", its first two notes.
- Minor sixth up: like the major sixth, but as if falling short; tell it by its darker colour.
A major sixth: C4 and A4
A minor sixth: C4 and A♭4
A sixth is a third turned over through the octave: a major third inverted gives a minor sixth, a minor third a major sixth. Listening to a sixth, imagine the third that is missing up to the octave.