G minor

G minor

Relative key	B♭ major
Parallel key	G major
Component pitches
G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭, F, G

G minor is a minor scale based on G, consisting of the pitches G, A, B♭, C, D, E♭, and F. For the harmonic minor scale, the F is raised to F♯. Its relative major is B-flat major, and its parallel major is G major.

Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in with accidentals as necessary. G minor is one of two flat key signatures that requires a sharp for the leading tone (the other is D minor).

In the Baroque era, G minor was considered the "key of tragic consummation."^{[dubious – discuss]} During this period music in G minor was usually written with a one-flat key signature, and some modern editions of that repertoire retain that convention.

Mozart's use of G Minor

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart considered G minor the key most suitable for expressing sadness and tragedy,^[1] and many of his minor key works are in G minor, such as the Piano Quartet No. 1 and the String Quintet in G minor. Though Mozart touched on various minor keys in his symphonies, G minor is the only minor key he used as a main key for his numbered symphonies (No. 25, and the famous No. 40). In the Classical period, symphonies in G minor almost always used four horns, two in G and two in B-flat alto.^[2] Another convention of G minor symphonies observed in Mozart's No. 25 was the choice of E flat major for the slow movement, with other examples including Haydn's No. 39 and Vanhal's G minor symphony from before 1771 (Bryan Gm1).^[3]

Well-known works in G minor

• Fantasia and Fugue in G minor "The Great", BWV 542- Bach
• Symphony No. 83 "The Hen" - Haydn
• Symphony No. 40 - Mozart
• Ballade No. 1 in G minor - Chopin
• Polonaise in G minor - Chopin
• Piano Concerto No. 2 - Saint-Saëns
• Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G minor - Dvořák
• Sicilliene, Op. 78 - Fauré
• Prelude in G Minor - Rachmaninoff
• Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor - Rachmaninoff
• Much of Verdi's Requiem, specifically the Dies Irae, is in G minor.
• Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 8, RV 315, "Summer" from The Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
• Adagio in G minor - "Albinoni's Adagio", now attributed to Remo Giazotto
• Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26 - Max Bruch
• Christmas Concerto - Arcangelo Corelli
• Blue (Da Ba Dee) - Eiffel 65
• Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd
• The Loner - Gary Moore

See also: List of symphonies in G minor.

References

1. ^ Hellmut Federhofer, foreword to the Bärenreiter Urtext of Mozart's Piano Quartet in G minor. "G-Moll war für Mozart zeitlebens die Schicksaltonart, die ihm für den Ausdruck des Schmerzes und der Tragik am geeignetsten erschien." ("G minor was, for Mozart, the most suitable fate-key throughout his life for the expression of pain and tragedy.")(
2. ^ H. C. Robbins Landon, Mozart and Vienna. New York: Schirmer Books (1991): 48. "Writing for four horns was a regular part of the Sturm und Drang G minor equipment." Robbins Landon also notes that Mozart's No. 40 was first intended to have four horns.
3. ^ James Hepokoski og Warren Darcy, Elements of Sonata Theory (Oxford University Press: 2006) p. 328

v • d • e Diatonic Scales and Keys
	Flats Sharps Major minor Major minor 0 C, a 1 F d G e 2 B♭ g D b 3 E♭ c A f♯ 4 A♭ f E c♯ 5 D♭ b♭ B g♯ 6 G♭ e♭ F♯ d♯ 7 C♭ a♭ C♯ a♯ 8 F♭ d♭ G♯ e♯
The table indicates the number of sharps or flats in each scale. Minor scales are written in lower case.

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