Music Theory: Minor Sixths
- May 6
- 1 min read
Today we’re half-stepping our way all the way up to the minor sixth, eight half steps wide. Sixths, much like thirds, have a pleasantly rich tone that feature heavily in popular music. As we’ll learn in later installments, sixths are closely related to thirds, the building blocks of the chords that keep us dancing and prancing through our favorite songs.
Ever the ragtime fan, I love to remember minor sixths from the main theme in “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. You’ll hear the interval in question as the large jump after the half step walk up. Listen to the first 20 seconds of “The Entertainer” and see if you can follow along!
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For those who don’t have a 110 year old listening age, you can remember minor sixths from “Johanna,” the famous love song from the hit musical Sweeney Todd - the minor sixth lives between the words “I feel.”
Sing these songs to yourself as you go about your week (and if anyone thinks you’re weird for singing in public, just tell them some guy named Luke told you to. It’s Luke’s fault.) As a refresher, feel free to review all the listening references we’ve compiled thus far (see the table below).
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