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Archive of posts tagged Westminster Quarters

Major Thirdsies

The Major Third is probably the most popular interval in America. Every time you walk into a convenience store, it plays for you. The Major Third is what makes things Major. In the above example, the E is the Major Third of the C – the Tonic. There is an inherently happy quality to this […]

Westminster Quarters

The clock tower song “Westminster Quarters” was composed by William Crotch in 1793. The last C that strikes the hour sounds more like a C minor, because of the audible Eb overtone. This type of modulation, from a Major key to the same key in Minor, is known as a Reverse Picardy. The “Westminster Quarters” […]