Second voice in thirds in E minor
In E minor, a second voice in thirds sings, above each note of the scale, the note of the key two steps higher: E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C, B–D, C–E, D–F♯. The third is major above G, C, and D and minor above E, F♯, A, and B. When the chord is the dominant (B), the third above B rises from D to D♯ (major third), the leading note of E minor.
The E minor scale with the second voice
Each row is a degree of the E minor scale: the melody note, the second-voice note and the interval between them.
| Degree | 1st voice (melody) | 2nd voice: third above | Interval |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | E | G | minor third |
| II | F♯ | A | minor third |
| III | G | B | major third |
| IV | A | C | minor third |
| V | B | D | minor third |
| VI | C | E | major third |
| VII | D | F♯ | major third |
On the staff
The E 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 E minor
The tool below opens with Greensleeves, in E 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
To find the third above, count two notes up the E minor scale: from E, skip F♯ and land on G. Because the count stays within the key, both voices always sing notes of E minor, and the size of the third changes with the degree: a major third is 4 semitones and a minor third is 3.
In E minor, the major thirds fall on degrees III, VI, and VII and the minor ones on degrees I, II, IV, and V. That is why the second voice is not the melody copied a little higher: it follows the same shape but alternates major and minor thirds to stay in the key.
If the third above gets too high for whoever sings the second voice, sing the sixth below: the same note, an octave lower. It is what Brazilian country duos do when the melody climbs.
Other second voices in E minor
In other keys
Frequently asked questions
What is the second voice in thirds in E minor?
Degree by degree, the third above each note of the E minor scale: E–G, F♯–A, G–B, A–C, B–D, C–E, D–F♯. It is always the note of the key two steps above the melody.
Which thirds in E minor are major and which are minor?
The third above is major (4 semitones) above G, C, and D and minor (3 semitones) above E, F♯, A, and B.
What if the third above is too high?
Sing the sixth below, which is the same note an octave lower. Above E, the third is G, and the sixth below is also G, only lower.