The Picardy Third
A Picardy third ends music in a minor key on a major tonic chord. In A minor, the final Am becomes A major. A and E stay in place while C rises by semitone to C-sharp.
- minor-key ending
- raised tonic third
- Am becomes A major
same family
The progression
- i
- iv
- i
- I
What is essential?
Only two conditions define a Picardy third:
- the preceding music establishes a minor key
- the final tonic chord is major rather than minor
The exact progression before the final chord can vary. i-iv-i-I is a useful listening example, but iv is not required. A dominant can also lead directly to the final major tonic.
See the changed note
| Final chord in A | Notes | Third |
|---|---|---|
| A minor | A C E | C, minor third |
| A major | A C-sharp E | C-sharp, major third |
The root and fifth remain A and E. Raising only the third changes the chord quality and makes the final tonic distinct from the minor tonic heard earlier.
Hear the effect in context
Play a single A major chord and it simply sounds major. The Picardy effect depends on memory: the passage has taught your ear to expect C natural, so C-sharp at the final arrival becomes meaningful.
For that reason, establish the minor third clearly before the ending. Let C appear in earlier tonic chords or in the melody, then save C-sharp for the last chord.
Prepare the final major tonic
With V-I. In A minor, E7-A major supplies the usual dominant root motion. G-sharp still resolves to A, while the final C-sharp changes the tonic quality.
With iv-I. Dm-A major creates contrasting minor-subdominant and major-tonic colours.
From i to I. Repeat the tonic and raise its third at the final moment. This version makes the chromatic alteration especially exposed.
The preparation changes the route. The defining event remains the major tonic at the end of a minor-key passage.
A focused ear exercise
- Play Am-Asing C-C-sharp as the chord changes.
- Reverse itplay A-Am and notice that the historical Picardy effect disappears because the direction and context changed.
- Add a cadenceplay Dm-E7-Am, then repeat with A major at the end.
- Hide the moving noteplace C-C-sharp in an inner voice and keep E in the melody.
Melody and arrangement
If the melody ends on the tonic A or fifth E, the chord quality can change underneath without changing the final melodic note. If the melody sings C-sharp, the transformation becomes explicit.
Register also matters. A bright, exposed C-sharp can make the ending dramatic; an inner C-sharp can make it feel like a subtler change of light.
Historical and modern use
The technique is associated with Renaissance and Baroque music, but the principle remains available in folk, metal, film music and contemporary songwriting. Modern use does not need to imitate an early-music style. It only needs a clearly established minor context and a final major tonic.
When it is useful
Use a Picardy third when the final chord should reinterpret the minor-key material at the point of closure. It can suggest brightness, firmness, surprise or irony depending on the music around it.