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Now we will learn to play Minor 3rds by ear on your instrument.

By itself, a minor 3rd typically has a somewhat sad sound.

In this lesson you will see a Minor 3rd lit up on your instrument, then you will write in in music notation.

We know that a Minor 3rd is equivalent to a Whole Step + a Half Step.

Minor 3rds

The next interval we will learn about is called a Minor 3rd.

As we learned in previous lessons, an interval is called "Minor" if it is one half step smaller than a Major interval.

In this lesson we will learn about Minor 3rds.

Before we do, however, we need to talk a little bit more and how scales and intervals are related.

Now you will listen to an interval, decide if it is a Major or Minor 2nd, then write it in music notation.

Please press the Exercise button below.

Now you will listen to an interval, decide if it is a Major or Minor 2nd, then play it on your instrument.

Now you will learn to distinguish Minor and Major 2nds played as a chord.

Both these intervals are dissonant which means rough sounding, as we learned earlier.

A Minor 2nd is called a strong dissonance because it sounds very harsh.

However, a Major 2nd is called a weak dissonance because it sounds less harsh.

Now you will learn to distinguish Minor and Major 2nds played down

Listen to the two examples here to familiarize yourself with the sound of each.

Now you will listen to an interval and decide if it is a Major or Minor 2nd.

Listen to the two examples here to familiarize yourself with the sound of each.

Now you will read a piece of written music and decide if the interval is a Minor 2nd or a Major 2nd.

To do this, it is critical to remember the pattern W W 1/2, W W W 1/2.

You can also remember that the half steps are between EF and BC.