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Section 19.5 The Picardy 3rd

It is rare to borrow from the major mode during a passage in a minor key. The major tonic usually functions as \(\left.\text{V}\middle/\text{iv}\right.\) if it’s not the last chord of a piece, and raised \(\hat{6} \) and \(\hat{7} \) occur naturally as part of the melodic minor scale.
In minor, the one place to borrow from the major mode is at the end of a piece in minor, with the use of the major \(\left.\text{I}\right.\) chord instead of minor \(\left.\text{i}\right.\).
Figure 19.5.1. J.S. Bach, French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812, Sarabande
While the Picardy 3rd (the major third above the tonic) was most commonly encountered in the Baroque era, it has been used from then until now, though with less frequency.