Picardy 3rds -- Theory time! [Bob asks]

[Bob]

Here's a question my theory professor couldn't answer...


Exactly what is a picardy 3rd?

Is it the "event" of ending a minor piece with a major tonic?

Is it the raised 3rd note itself that is called a picardy 3rd?

[DarkWind]

My music dictionary says the ending of a minor piece in a major chord is in Baroque mainly.

[ahmedito]

A picardy third is the act of substituting a minor tonic with its major cord after the resolution from dominant.

[reinvent]

In my theory class, I was told that in the 1600-1700s
there was a strong belief in the music world that because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ - that no matter how sad a piece of music was, it should never end on a sad note.
The theory teacher that I had was a chorales conductor - and presented this as part of music history.
If you notice the song, "We Three Kings of Orient Are" for example, though written in minor key - ends with a major chord; thus - a picardy third.
The third is major - but I don't know where the word, picardy, came from.  It's a surprising sound, and it is supposed to be.

[super_ardua]

All the minor pieces in the WTK display this

[bernhard]

Here is another explanation for the widespread use of the picardy third (“tierce de Picardie”) during the 16th and 17th centuries:

“It was felt to be unsuitable to bring the changing harmonies to rest on the interval of the minor third, since keen ears (very keen ones!) could detect the major third occurring as one of the harmonics of the keynote; there are a few people today, indeed, who claim to do this. Probably the practice was initiated by stern theorists. It was perpetuated by the practice of Musica Ficta and so become a convention.”
(The Oxford Companion to Music – ed. Percy Scholles – OUP)

The origin of the name is unknown, although for a while it was believed that it was related to the region of Picardy in France – this theory being now more or less discredited.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[bernhard]

All the minor pieces in the WTK display this

Actually, in the WTC1 there is one minor piece that does not end on a Picardy 3rd, and on the WTC2 out of 24 minor pieces (12 fugues and 12 preludes) 14 do not use it.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[mozartgonebad]

baroque ending thingy...
sry im not that good at explaining theory...
its basically instead of ending on a minor 3rd u end on a major 3rd

[ahmedito]

You must remembr, Bernhard that before equal temperament spread out as a common practice, the harmonics were a LOT more hearable. Play something in G minor on a keyboard tuned to G and you will faintly hear the 3rd harmonic clashing with the minor.

[bernhard]

You must remembr, Bernhard that before equal temperament spread out as a common practice, the harmonics were a LOT more hearable. Play something in G minor on a keyboard tuned to G and you will faintly hear the 3rd harmonic clashing with the minor.

I completley agree.

It is possibly why the picardy fell into disuse after equal temperament became the norm - it is makes less sense with equal temperament. It may also explain why the WTC2 has far less picardy endings than WTC1, since it was written some 20 years on.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[Egghead]

I completley agree.

It is possibly why the picardy fell into disuse after equal temperament became the norm - it is makes less sense with equal temperament. ....

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

Yeah, with the end of the Great War and more equal temperament setting in, all that shelling didn't make much sense anymore: the Picardy fell out of intense abuse back into rural disuse.  

Clearly, there aren't enough Frenchmen here to stand up for this beautiful piece of earth so steeped in history.

plain silly , Egghead