The Gift of the Picardy Third

One of our favorite places to walk in NYC. This is "The Little Chapel that Stood" after the towers fell on 9/11.  This is a testament to the concept of the Picardy Third. 

Positive Pensées

Kathy King

The Gift of the Picardy Third

 

What is a Picardy Third you may ask?

It is a musical term that can impact the piece of music at the very last. 

The French call it Tierce de Picardie; what a beautiful name.

This musical term changes the piece in the most beautiful way. 

When a piece is in a minor (or sad sounding key). 

At the very end of the piece comes the trusted Picardy. 

It takes that piece that produces much sad emotion and turns around the ending with one little note motion. 

The last chord of the piece, the piece de resistance, goes from a minor to a major key and changes the emotions.  

The simple change of one or two notes makes all the difference in the world to the musical tone. 

Can you take a sad piece in your life that seems quite hopeless and add a Picardy Third and put it into motion.

A major key ending which can change your emotions from hopeless to hopeful with a little change in the notes motion.  

Find that place in your life that needs the trusty Picardy Third. 

Find the tonal beautiful ending that you most richly deserve. 

 

The Picardy Third is a musical term that takes a piece that is in a minor or modal key and changes it with just a few notes to a major key. To put it into perspective, a minor key would be a piece of music that sounds very sad. There is a funeral march that was written by Chopin that comes to mind, it is an easy internet search to find this terribly grim piece. Basically, the piece is played in a minor key until the very end, when the composer adds in the necessary notes to bring the ending into a major key.  That major key instantly lightens the mood of the piece because the tones become happy.  Does that make sense? The Picardy Third is less common in modern music, but the concept is to take something weighty from nature in its sound and, at the very end, bring that ray of musical sunlight into the piece to let you know all will be well in the end. This practice started during the Renaissance period (1400–1600). Each musical epoch has its own pioneer of change.The Classical and Impressionist periods this was the gift that was given via music during that time. Those musical innovations were then carried over to the next musical period and used in their own unique way. Do you need a Picardy Third in your life? Is there a situation that seems hopeless in nature?  The piece that is played is fraught with minor chords and notes. The beautiful aspect of chords and scales is that one simple half step can change the entire emotion that the piece conveys. Is there a small half step in your situation that you can glean?  I once read that sometimes you cannot change the circumstance, but you can change your attitude toward the circumstance.  This small half-step of change redirects your song. Life is not promised to be one happy song or piece.  How would that be if you always had a happy tune singing in your ear or going through your mind? You would probably say that this situation is untenable, and I would agree with you.  But, what if, on those days when you have a minor key situation or circumstance, you take a moment before the day ends and introduce a Picardy Third into the mix to change your point of view?  When you see others around you that are constantly in a state of the minor key where everything is a complaint, where nothing is good.  You can first rest assured that you can find that one half step to make your day a Picardy Third.  Once you start this practice, introduce it to others.  Help them to craft a beautiful life song with the use of a Picardy Third.  There was a little lady where I work with seniors, she has long since passed from this world. She would sit right at the entrance of the building and complain. I would say, "How are you today, Miss Ellie?" She would instantly reply with, "Terrible! "This place is terrible!" She would also insert some other colorful metaphors into the mix to keep it spicy.  Week after week I would ask her how she was doing, and she always replied with the same answer.  Finally, one week, I asked her if she could find something good to say. She sat in silence after I asked her this question. Her reply was, "No, but I will try!" That day, Ms. Ellie hopefully found a Picardy Third. Make your chords, your song, and your piece a beautiful Picardy Third.  

 

Source:history.com

*Note: I encourage everyone to read about St. Paul's Chapel in NYC. It was constructed in 1766. It is one of the oldest chapels in NYC. This little church is indeed a little chapel that stood.