Estimated reading time 5 minutes
Table of Contents
Introduction
Frustrated with your out of tune synth chords? Do you want your brass, woodwind, and string programs to sound better? It’s not only the program you select which controls how your synth sounds, the tuning has an impact as well. I created Supplemented Equal Temperament (SET) to produce chords that sound better in tune than equal temperament (the piano’s tuning). Read more to learn how Supplemented Equal Temperament minor keys work.
The sound track below shows how the primary chords sound in SET minor.
This article uses technical musical terms. For definitions, see the Glossary at the end of the post.
SET Minor Sound Track:
Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys: Tuning Review
Before we can talk about how the Supplemented Equal Temperament minor keys function, we need to review some details about tuning the synth to SET.
First, you need to have:
For a discussion of cents:
Click here to learn how:
In addition:
- The post How Chords in Supplemented Equal Temperament Work talks about how the harmonies function in the major keys in SET.
- The PC3K Keyboards section of How Chords in Supplemented Equal Temperament Work shows how the PC3K synth allows for flexible modulation when using SET.
- Finally, the post How to Change Keys in Supplemented Equal Temperament uses the tonality/modality chart to show how this works in practice.
Analysis of Two Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys
A Minor (Relative)
Note: for best results viewing the examples, mobile users should tilt their phones 90 degrees to the right.
Like with the major keyboard, the relative minor keyboard has near pure fifths. The major thirds remain pure while the minor thirds become slightly tempered.
The Supplemented Equal Temperament minor keys synth template setup stays basically the same as the major scale keyboard template. One difference, the relative minor cent value has been inserted into the keynote of each keyboard template. This changes all of the cent values relative to the keynote. However, the interval relationships between the synth keys remains the same.
I‘ve color coded the minor and major chords for the A harmonic minor scale on the keyboard template. The minor and major chords each have their own colors. Therefore, the top three color-groups indicate the notes of the secondary chords. The bottom three color-groups indicate the notes of the primary chords on each keyboard.
See “Additional Chords” on the chords chart for more harmony options. Triads off the chart may not be in tune.
Plus, the synth template has chromatic notes for the harmonic and melodic minor, as well as the leading tones for two secondary dominants. For example:
- The diatonic notes of A minor: A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
- Thus, the harmonic minor substitutes G# for G.
- Also, the melodic minor substitutes F# for F.
- The leading tone (D#) of the key of E minor resides in the dominant chord (B7). E minor is the dominant key relative to A minor.
- Likewise, the leading tone (A#) of the key of B minor resides in the dominant chord (F#7). B minor is the dominant key relative to E minor.
E Minor (Relative)
In the minor key templates, you have all the notes from the dominant key, except for the fifth of the dominant chord in the dominant key.
Compare the notes from the E natural minor scale in the E minor keyboard template with the notes of the E natural minor scale in the A minor keyboard template by substituting F# for F on the A minor keyboard template. You will notice that the A minor keyboard template doesn’t have F# 586.
In addition, seventh chords can be used, but they aren’t color coded. The color coding on the charts only indicates the triads from the harmonic minor scale. Also, the seventh chords don’t represent the best harmonic tuning.
In addition, beware of using enharmonic accidentals. For example, a G# will function as the third of an E triad (E 386, G# 772, B 1086). However, it won’t function as the root of an Ab triad (Ab 814, C 0, Eb 314).
Now for the fun part, we’ll look at a practical example of how a Supplemented Equal Temperament minor key works.
Practical Example of Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys
SET Minor Key Sound Track:
The above example has a i, iv, V, i progression tuned to the Supplemented Equal Temperament minor key of E. The ability to play harmonic minor chord progressions shows another strength of the SET tuned synth over the SET tuned guitar.
Also, the secondary triads on the major keyboard template will work with the crossnote tuned guitar. Likewise, the minor primary triads of the natural minor scale in the minor keyboard template will work with the guitar tuned to open B minor.
However, the dominant chord from the harmonic minor scale in the minor keyboard template will not. The dominant chord is a major chord, and a single crossnote tuned guitar can’t play a full major chord. A single guitar would have to play a chord fragment (only part of the chord). Or a second guitar would have to be tuned to cover the major chords.
For a full discussion of this topic, including guitar chord charts with cents:
Concluding Thoughts on Supplemented Equal Temperament Minor Keys
The Supplemented Equal Temperament minor keys work best for triads. When used with brass, woodwind, violin, or vocal synth sounds, the tuning makes the tone color sound really nice.
It also makes the synth programs sound more like the real instruments. However, using a low frequency oscillator for vibrato can ruin the effect. Have fun retuning your synth!
© 2021 Geoffrey Keith
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Glossary
- Harmony
- Interval
- Key
- Keynote
- Leading tone
- Low frequency oscillator
- Major chord
- Major keyboard
- Major third
- Melodic minor
- Minor chord
- Minor scale
- Minor third
- Modulation
- Note
- Primary chord
- Pure
- Relative
- Relative minor
- Secondary chord
- Secondary dominant
- Secondary triad
- Seventh chord
- Supplemented Equal Temperament
- Synth keys
- Tempered
- Triad
- Vibrato
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