Ending minor
iv | V7 | i
D minor, E7, A minor: the minor key’s own ending, home with a shadow over it.
Chord stories
The Picardy third
A Picardy third is a major chord at the end of a piece in a minor key: the third of the last chord is raised a half step, so a song in A minor ends on A major. On guitar it is one finger moved one fret.
Tempo85
↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.
Colours
homehome, minorthe pullsoft fall
What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.Ending major: the Picardy third
iv | V7 | I
The same, ending on A major: the C rises to C♯ and the shadow lifts.
Am
StandardA C E
A
StandardC rises to C♯
Em
StandardE G B
E
FamousStandardG rises to G♯
On guitar
From A minor (x02210) to A major (x02220), the note on the B string moves from C to C♯. From E minor (022000) to E major (022100), the G string’s open G becomes G♯ at the first fret. Play the minor chord through the song and save the major one for the very last chord.
Where the name comes from
Nobody knows for certain. The term was first written down by Jean-Jacques Rousseau in his dictionary of music in the 1760s. One idea links it to Picardy in northern France; another to the Old French word picart, meaning sharp, since the raised third is a sharpened note.
When it was used
It grew common in the Renaissance and was a habit by the early 1600s: many pieces in minor keys by Bach end on a major chord, among them many of the minor preludes in the first book of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Popular songs use it too: The Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back” and Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” are examples often given.
Is there a reverse Picardy third?
There is no standard name for a piece in a major key that ends on a minor chord, though songs do it. The minor iv is a common way to bring a minor colour into a major key without ending on it.
Questions
What is a Picardy third?
A major chord at the end of a piece in a minor key, made by raising the last chord’s third a half step: a song in A minor ending on A major.
How do you play a Picardy third on guitar?
End on the major chord instead of the minor one: A major (x02220) instead of A minor (x02210), or E major (022100) instead of E minor (022000).
Why is it called a Picardy third?
Nobody knows. Ideas include the Picardy region of France and the Old French word picart, sharp. Rousseau first wrote the name down in the 1760s.
What is an example of a Picardy third?
Many minor-key pieces by Bach end on a major chord; in popular music, The Beatles’ “I’ll Be Back” is often given as an example.
Sources
More chord stories: The forbidden chord, The saddest chord, The four chord song, The most beautiful chord, The happiest chord, The Mario cadence, and famous chords such as the Tristan chord and the Hendrix chord. Also: the guitar chord library, the chord finder and the chords in every key.