Second voice in sixths in F minor
In F minor, a second voice in sixths sings, below each note of the scale, the note of the key two steps higher, an octave lower: F–A♭, G–B♭, A♭–C, B♭–D♭, C–E♭, D♭–F, E♭–G. The sixth is major below F, G, B♭, and C and minor below A♭, D♭, and E♭. When the chord is the dominant (C), the sixth below C rises from E♭ to E (minor sixth), the leading note of F minor.
The F minor scale with the second voice
Each row is a degree of the F minor scale: the melody note, the second-voice note and the interval between them.
| Degree | 1st voice (melody) | 2nd voice: sixth below | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | F | A♭ | major sixth |
| II | G | B♭ | major sixth |
| III | A♭ | C | minor sixth |
| IV | B♭ | D♭ | major sixth |
| V | C | E♭ | major sixth |
| VI | D♭ | F | minor sixth |
| VII | E♭ | G | minor sixth |
On the staff
The F minor scale going up, with the second voice on the lower staff. The numbers between the staves are the intervals (3 = third, 6 = sixth).
Hear it and practise in F minor
The tool below opens with Greensleeves, transposed from E minor to F minor, and the second voice in this style. Change the melody, the style and the key whenever you like.
1. The melody
Melody only: no lyrics.
Type C D E F G A B (or do re mi fa sol la si), # and b for sharp and flat, :2 for 2 beats, :1/2 for half a beat, p for a rest. Without a number, each note goes to the octave closest to the previous one; ' raises it an octave and , lowers it.
Length
Turn it on, wait for a one-bar count-in and sing (or play) the melody in time with the click. Nothing is recorded: the device only writes down the notes.
2. The second voice
Style
Transpose · Range of whoever sings the 1st voice · Chords
E.g. C | G7 | C F | G C. In the choir style, the 2nd voice prefers chord notes on the strong beats.
3. See
Choose, type or sing a melody to start.
The numbers between the staves are the intervals (3 = third, 6 = sixth, 8 = octave). Tap a note in the 1st voice to fix it.
Tab for both guitars and the positions on the fretboard: filled = 1st voice, ring = 2nd voice. The guitar sounds an octave lower than written.
Each staff is written the way the player reads it (already transposed for the instrument). In red: outside the comfortable range.
4. Listen
5. Practise
The app plays one voice and you sing or play the other. Each note lights up green (right), yellow (close) or red. Nothing of your voice is recorded: only the score stays on the device.
I take
Listening
Without headphones, the other voice plays quietly and the microphone ignores anything that matches it. Sing much louder than the phone (or use headphones: it works much better).
Strictness
Result
0 out of 100
The sixth below is the third above moved down an octave. In F minor, a second voice in sixths uses the same notes as a second voice in thirds, only lower: from F, count two notes up (A♭) and drop an octave.
Inverting turns a major third into a minor sixth (8 semitones) and a minor third into a major sixth (9 semitones): together they add up to 12 semitones, an octave. In F minor, the sixths below are major on degrees I, II, IV, and V and minor on degrees III, VI, and VII.
The sixth below is the second voice for whoever sings lower than the melody, and the natural way out when the third above climbs too high. The voices sit further apart than in thirds.
Other second voices in F minor
In other keys
Frequently asked questions
What is the second voice in sixths in F minor?
Degree by degree, the sixth below each note of the F minor scale: F–A♭, G–B♭, A♭–C, B♭–D♭, C–E♭, D♭–F, E♭–G. They are the notes of the second voice in thirds above, an octave lower.
Which sixths in F minor are major and which are minor?
The sixth below is major (9 semitones) below F, G, B♭, and C and minor (8 semitones) below A♭, D♭, and E♭.
What is the difference between the sixth below and the third above?
The notes are the same; only the octave changes. The third above sits close to the melody, the sixth below further away and lower. Inverting turns a major third into a minor sixth, and a minor third into a major sixth.