picardy third in music meaning | TheMusicDictionary

Meaning of Picardy Third in Music

The Picardy third, also known as Tierce de Picardie, is a harmonic device used in music. It refers to the practice of ending a piece of music in a minor key with a major chord as the final chord. This creates a sudden shift from the minor tonality to a major tonality, providing a sense of resolution and brightness at the end of the composition. The Picardy third is achieved by raising the third note of the expected minor chord by a semitone to create a major third. For example, in a piece written in the key of C minor, the final chord would typically be a C major chord instead of a C minor chord. This technique has been used in various musical genres and periods, including the Renaissance and Baroque eras, and continues to be employed in contemporary music.

A practice from the 16th century and the Baroque era of ending a composition with a major chord, when the rest of the composition is in a minor key, thus giving the composition a sense of finality. This is accomplished by raising the third of the final chord one half step or adding a sharp. In the key of A minor (A - C - E), the final chord would be (A - C sharp - E).