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Hints for Spelling Major and Minor Sixths |
| Look at a piano keyboard. If you remain on the white keys (no accidentals) there are three minor sixths (A-F, B-G, and E-C), all the others are major sixths. |
| Sharps move a note up, flats move it down. Always think in terms of moving towards or away from the other note. Moving the upper note up makes a larger interval, while moving the lower note up makes a smaller interval. Moving both notes in the same direction doesn't change the interval. |
| If you know your key signatures, any time the upper note is in the major key of the lower note it is a major sixth.. (i.e. C-A: There are no sharps or flats in the key of C major, so A is in the key of C major, so C-a is a major sixth.) |
| If you remember your thirds, you can use them to double check your work. Remember, all thirds invert to sixths. Major thirds invert to minor sixths, and minor thirds invert to major sixths. (b up to d is a minor third, therefore d up to b is a major sixth) |