Published by PitchChanger · Updated · How these guides are made
Hear the difference
Compare transposition with changing the third.
Pause your workspace preview before comparing these clips.
Independently synthesized chord references, not browser exports.
How to use this workflow
Identify the intended change
Choose between moving the whole performance into another key and changing its chord or scale quality.
Check one chord’s intervals
Write the root, third and fifth. A major triad has offsets 0, 4 and 7 semitones; a minor triad has 0, 3 and 7.
Choose the right workflow
Use Pitch Changer for uniform transposition. Use an external arrangement or note editor when individual tones must move differently.
The interval calculation survives a uniform shift
Take a C major triad as C4–E4–G4. Relative to its root, its semitone offsets are 0, 4 and 7. Add two semitones to every note: D4–F♯4–A4. The differences are still 0, 4 and 7, so the result is D major.
C minor instead needs C4–E♭4–G4, with offsets 0, 3 and 7. Only the third moved. Adding one shared number cannot leave the root and fifth fixed while moving only the third. MusicTheory.net’s triad lesson provides the underlying major/minor construction.
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| Operation | Notes | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Original chord | C4–E4–G4 | Major |
| Uniform +2 semitones | D4–F♯4–A4 | Major |
| Lower only the third | C4–E♭4–G4 | Minor |
Three authored chords make the distinction audible
The audio examples are summed sine-wave triads using A4 = 440 Hz equal temperament. The C major example uses approximately 261.626, 329.628 and 391.995 Hz; D major uses 293.665, 369.994 and 440.000 Hz; C minor uses 261.626, 311.127 and 391.995 Hz.
They were synthesized independently to illustrate target note relationships. The D major sample is not presented as an actual PitchChanger export or a test of artifact quality. Listen for the changed root in D major and the changed third in C minor.
A relative key label does not rewrite the notes
C major and A minor share a key signature, but a recording’s tonal center depends on its musical context. Choosing a different name for the same set of notes does not alter its harmony. Similarly, lowering the whole track three semitones produces a transposition, not an automatic conversion to the relative minor.
A full major-to-minor arrangement may alter melody tones, chords and voice leading in different ways. There is no universal semitone value that makes all those decisions correctly for an existing stereo recording.
Use uniform pitch shifting when the interval is what you need
PitchChanger offers integer shifts from −12 to +12 semitones and independent speed from 50% to 150% in five-point steps. Leave speed at 100% when you want a transposition without an intentional tempo change. Preview and generate a fresh export after adjustments.
The tool has no major/minor conversion, target-key menu, note editor or chord transcription. Separating stems also does not expose every note as editable MIDI. For reharmonization, work from a score, MIDI arrangement or individual musical parts in an appropriate editor.
Common questions
Can any fixed semitone shift make a major chord minor?
No. Uniform shifts preserve its internal intervals.
Is a sadder-sounding transposition proof of minor conversion?
No. Register and timbre can change your impression while the major/minor interval structure stays the same.