Letter from the Kingdom of Tune #11. Princess Subdominant: Enjoy our “festive” company view!
Hello!
Princess Subdominant is writing to you!
How are you? Are you enjoying your music lessons?
Everything is fine with me, too, but I am still learning without notes since I can’t find my music briefcase. To be honest, I really miss them! Thank goodness, I can do a lot by ear. Like you, I have learned a lot of very interesting exercises.
But I want so much to talk with the notes and read the clever musical thoughts of the great composers!
Enough whining, I want to share the good news with you now!
Today I am going to the Ball in honor of Harmony Thanksgiving Day. Look what a beautiful dress I have:
My friend Courier -- 007 – has come to pick me up.
We are so excited! This is our first big appearance.
I will try to tell you as much as I can about the Ball and send a lot of interesting photos!
Here we come to the hall. There is already a holiday table, but the chairs have not yet been placed. Uncle Tuning fork moves them.
It turns out that since the MINOR is announced in the Kingdom of Tune, our chairs will stand somewhat differently than usual!
The Magic formula for Minor is Step – Half-Step -- Two Steps – Half Step -- Two Steps.
Here, finally, everyone has gathered, and we are waiting for a festive dinner:
Maid of Honor, Uncle What If, and my friend Courier have changed today. After all, their places have had to be moved with the transition to the MINOR. Enjoy our “festive” company view!
Can you play our minor scale with the same fingering you use for playing the Major? 123—1234—123—12345.
After dinner, we have all gathered in the salon and are chatting a bit about everything and nothing. Soon the concert will begin, and then the dance part of our holiday:
In this photo, my Dad is talking to Uncle What If. The interval between them is now a MINOR SECOND.
Do you remember my Subdominant triad with him and my mom?
Now it sounds like this. Try to play the triad in the old (Major) way and new (Minor) way:
Now the interval between my dad and Courier is also a MINOR or a small third.
Can you find and play these keys together or one after another?
If you play the keys together, we call it a harmonic interval.
If separately -- melodic!
My mom is leaning towards the Maid of Honor so they can discuss whether there is any news from the Knight.
They also form a MINOR Tonic Third. The Maid of Honor gets so upset that she bursts into tears, and even a small puddle forms near her!
Find these keys and play, too! You will hear how sad it sounds!
Speaking of puddles. Surprisingly, no one pays any attention to us with the Courier! After all, we are the main Trouble Makers! And right now, aren’t the adults really afraid that we will make a mess?
I go to the Courier and say: “Hey, let’s make everyone more excited!”
But he does not answer. And then I understand why he has been hiding his eyes from everyone!
I see that the Courier has tears in his eyes:
“What is wrong with you?” I ask. “We are the troublemakers. We are TRITON! And you are a soggy mess.”
“Nope, we are not TRITON any longer because it is MINOR!” The Courier tells me.
I don't even have words to express my amazement!
And the Courier continues:
“We now sound like ordinary, boring, PERFECT children. Clean -- the purest, who never climb through puddles, never hang on the branches, and never fail to fly a hang glider.”
Here you go -- hear it for yourself:
We are the PERFECT FOURTH:
Fourth -- because between you and me are 4 chairs.
I tell him: “Well, 4 chairs. Is that a surprise for you?”
“Not in the chair matter!” -- Courier tells me. “TRITON is THREE butterflies. And how many do we have?”
“Two and a half!” -- I say.
And we used to be a beautiful AUGMENTED Fourth named TRITON! Now what?
My dear friend, please, play our keys. You will hear that the Courier is right. This is not TRITON, but a correct and boring Perfect Fourth. What a change!
I then say to him: “Maybe if we swap places, we will get our TRITON back?”
“I’ve already checked. Same story!” -- the Courier tells me sadly.
Then we have five chairs. This was a Fifth. A Perfect Fifth!!!
In order to be TRITON, we need THREE butterflies, and not three and a half!
I never even thought our lives would change so drastically with the arrival of the MINOR!
Well, here begins the concert part of our Ball.
I have to run! Otherwise, I will miss the fun!
Happy learning!
Princess Subdominant
The Courier sends you a big hello, sobbing.
PS
Do you know that we have a room for you in our Kingdom? Come and claim it! Choose your school year and click New Topic. It will be your place! Here is the link!
Lesson plans with more Royal activities are for:
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