Picardy 3rd (opposite of)

[Kittoon]

I understand when a piece is in a minor key, if one wants to end the composition via a Picardy-3rd, that chord will be the major.
-I like to add Picardy-3rds on occasion. Gives the audience something just a tiny bit unexpected! Adds depth.

-I was at Home Depot to buy some “Stabil” for my lawnmower because here in Minneapolis, it is snowing already.

-Expecting to only hear Muzak over Home Depot’s “echoey” PA system, I was surprised to hear early 60’s rock/and or roll music being broadcast at a fairly loud volume.

-Anyway, “For Your Love” by the Yardbirds came on (you would recognize the song immediately by the chord progression). I came home, picked out the chords and hook.
Em G A ....but then, Am! -It’s a neat progression!

To get to the point:
My question is, is there an opposite of a Picardy 3rd? (a minor, when key is major). Offhand I can’t think of an example. -Just curious!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Kittoon

-Anyway, “For Your Love” by the Yardbirds came on (you would recognize the song immediately by the chord progression). I came home, picked out the chords and hook.
Em G A ....but then, Am! -It’s a neat progression!

Yes - an example of mode mixture, standard practice in rock. E dorian and E aeolian in this case. (Same mixture as Eleanor Rigby, btw... which came later...)

Originally Posted by Kittoon

To get to the point:
My question is, is there an opposite of a Picardy 3rd? (a minor, when key is major). Offhand I can’t think of an example. -Just curious!

Good question: a major key song which ends on a parallel minor tonic.

The same question was asked a while back on a theory site, and the only two examples given (i.e., that anyone could think of) were Erik Satie's Gymnopedie no.1 and Enya's Orinoco Flow.

The latter is debatable. The main chord sequence is G-F-C, which looks like key of C, and the chorus (or bridge or second section) is Cm-Bb-F. So you could say the key switches around from C major to C minor - and the very last chord is Cm. I.e., if your ears tell you C is key centre overall, then this tune counts.
But to my ears the key is ambiguous. The key centre of the verse sounds like G to me (F-C-G-G is a mixolydian bVII-IV-I-I progression, very common in rock music). So that makes the ending a kind of weird minor iv.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTrk4X9ACtw

Gymnopedie no.1 is a better example. It's mostly in D major, and ends on a Dm chord.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-Xm7s9eGxU

[Kittoon]

I appreciate you sharing some of your insight regarding an “outside” or at least very unusual “Picardy 3rd”!

I took the Enya song out for a spin. I can understand why some would say key= either C or G. - I have been here before: Caught between two keys!