What's this common chord progression called?

[aeon135]

This is something I've seen in a bunch of both classical and popular peices so I assume theres a name for it.

Take C minor triad, then go to G major, this is not part of the C minor scale but it sounds grat anyway, sort of haunting and dark.

or take F minor, and go to C major, again off scale, again I think it sounds quite good, I'mm basically going to any given dominant on the minor scale and making it a major where it would properly be minor.
good tension builder

So is there a name for that?

[sharon_f]

Dominants are always major. In c minor, the bflat is raised 1/2 step to b natural because it is the leading tone. In the case of f minor going to c major, you can view it two ways. First, you are playing the subdominant (f minor) in a c minor tonality and resolving to c major. Raising the 3rd in a minor key at a cadence (most usually at the end of a piece) is referred to as a Piccardy third. The second way of looking at it, if you are in c major and there is a f minor chord, it is called "modal borrowing", because you are "borrowing" from the minor mode.

[aeon135]

Dominants are always major. In c minor, the bflat is raised 1/2 step to b natural because it is the leading tone. In the case of f minor going to c major, you can view it two ways. First, you are playing the subdominant (f minor) in a c minor tonality and resolving to c major. Raising the 3rd in a minor key at a cadence (most usually at the end of a piece) is referred to as a Piccardy third. The second way of looking at it, if you are in c major and there is a f minor chord, it is called "modal borrowing", because you are "borrowing" from the minor mode.

This is way over my head, can you simplify?

[keyboardclass]

Take C minor triad, then go to G major, this is not part of the C minor scale

That's where you're wrong.  It is part of the harmonic and melodic minor scale.

[pianisten1989]

That's where you're wrong.  It is part of the harmonic and melodic minor scale.

Which means that the 7th note is high (the 3rd in the dominant) which makes it major.
That's because it leads better back to the tonic.

[countrymath]

Yup.

Search for "minor harmonic scale"

The 7th degree (B, on this case) resolves a half-step to the tonic (C). Also, B D and F forms a diminished triad. So you have 1 note resolving by half-step (B), 2 notes resolving by hole step (D and F) and one note resolving by a fifth or fourth (G).

[aeon135]

That's where you're wrong.  It is part of the harmonic and melodic minor scale.

great scot, you're right.

ta