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Minor

Chord

All

Minor

Chords

Using the Minor Chord: Example #2

When we are in a Major key, we use the minor ii, iii and vi chords as "temporary" harmony. We will either stay on those chords briefly, or use them as passing chords between Major chords.

This is just what we do in our next musical example:

Here, we are in the key of C Major. The violins play the chords while  the cellos play the root note of each chord. In bar 1, the first chord in the violins is a C Major (C) in second inversion. The second chord is a d minor (dm) in second inversion.

Bar 2 starts with an e minor (em) in second inversion, and goes to an F Major (F) in second inversion. In bar 3, we simply descend using the same chords as before. Bar 3 starts with the e minor in second inversion, and then goes to the d minor in second inversion. We end in bar 4 with a C Major in second inversion.