Minor (from Latin word minor - "smaller") is musical mode, whose chord is based on a minor third. As a rule, the minor sounds sad, sad, depressing.
Major (from the Latin word major - “larger”) is a musical scale, the chord of which is based on a major third. Major is characterized, as a rule, by a joyful, cheerful coloring of the sound.
What is the difference between minor and major
The contrast between major and minor is one of the most important in music. Major is the opposite of minor. According to European tradition sounds are separated using tones and semitones. Due to physical features sounds, as well as the physiological structure of the human ear, even a semitone creates a significant contrast in the perception of sound.
Most often, major chords are perceived by listeners as joyful, and minor chords as sad. For example, remember how the famous major work sounds - Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". However, not all marches are usually energetic and cheerful. For example, Chopin's "" was created in a minor key, so when listening, a mournful, tragic feeling appears.
Minor has a pronounced "negative" coloring, and major - "positive". Such a feature of the sound of music is usually characterized by a person as "sadness" or "joy". Moreover, what is especially interesting, the emotional coloring of chords does not depend in any way on changes in the volume or timbre of their constituent sounds.
Nevertheless, it also happens that the major key can express lyrical, tragic feelings, while the minor key can express joyful and bright ones. For example, many American blues are created in major, but the Russian incendiary "Gypsy" - oddly enough, in minor.
By analogy, in the language a sad, dull, depressed, mournful mood is called a minor, and an upbeat, cheerful, cheerful state of mind is called a major.
Difference between minor and major
Thus, the difference between minor and major is as follows:
- in music, a minor chord is built on a minor third, and a major chord is built on a major one;
- both in major and in minor scales the order of intervals is different (both tones and semitones);
- usually the minor has a gloomy and dark, and the major has a light color of the sound;
- minor causes negative emotions, such as grief, despondency, sadness, and major - positive (joy);
- also a dull, sad, depressed state is often called a minor, and an upbeat, cheerful, cheerful mood is often called a major.
Diversifying musical sound achieved in many ways. Today we will analyze one of the most important ones - the varieties of the major and minor series, in particular the harmonic minor and major. Let's start with the characteristics.
What is the harmonic minor?
One of the types of scale related to the minor scale. This is the definition of the concept in the subtitle. Its difference from natural sounding is an increase in the 7th step. The reason for this is in the presence of an imitation of the opening tone, which is typical only for natural major.
The harmonic minor is considered the most common type of the series of the same name in both classical and pop and popular music. In ascending order, its scale is constructed as follows: T - PT - T - T - PT - one and a half tones - PT.
Thus, it is precisely that augmented second (in other words, one and a half steps), which is noticeable between the sixth and seventh steps, that gives the harmonic minor a specific color. From here, there is an interesting trend. In classical music works of the XVIII- the beginning of the 20th century, which are created in a minor key, the transition of the melodic move to a one and a half tone is avoided. The exception will be those compositions to which the author seeks to give an oriental (oriental) flavor, sounding in the spirit of the "Russian East". Such a move for an increased second is more correctly called modalism.
Existing keys of the minor
Let's see in what keys you can notice the harmonic minor:
- La Minor.
- E minor.
- B minor harmonic: the emergence of A-sharp.
- F-sharp: raising the seventh step while ascending.
- C-sharp: for harmonic form, C-sharp is added.
- F minor: the sound is characterized by an increase in E-bekar.
- C minor: rising B-backer with harmonic sound.
- G minor: in this form, F-sharp is exhibited.
- harmonic is a rise to sharp.
Harmonic major
Harmonic major is a variety of the eponymous scale. Her main distinguishing feature- reduced VI stage. This is what distinguishes the harmonic variety from the natural variety.
Let's look at the harmony of the harmonic major in the ascending trend: T - T - PT - T - PT - one and a half tone - PT. The sixth reduced step here has one feature: it helps to build intervals that will be identical to the minor. As an example: an incremental second at this stage.
Thus, we can say that the specific coloring of the harmonic major is the same oriental coloring. Gives it a second between the sixth and seventh degree, which is increased.
What can be a minor?
Initially, the sound was represented by only one natural minor. But over time, new "colors" were added to the fret in order to diversify it. This is how the harmonic and melodic minor appeared. Let's consider two types not presented by us.
Natural. This is the name of a simple gamma, as it is, without adding random signs and taking into account only the key ones. When moving up and down, the scale is the same. In general: a simple, sad, strict sound without unnecessary details.
Melodic. Its difference is that when moving up, two steps immediately become higher - the sixth and seventh, and when moving downward, in the opposite direction, they are canceled. That is, in the latter case, the performer plays or sings in an almost natural minor key. An increase in the sixth step is necessary here to cover the increased interval. It is characteristic of the harmonic variety. This is necessary because the minor is melodic, and in the melody the move to an increased second is prohibited.
An increase in the VI, VII steps gives a directed, but at the same time softened movement towards the tonic. I also wonder why this alteration is canceled when moving down? The simplest explanation is that raising the sixth and seventh steps adds some cheerfulness to the melody. But taking into account that the minor is still being performed, the repetition of such a frivolous note will already be superfluous.
What can be a major?
Just like minor, major can be natural, melodic and harmonic. Consider its unrepresented varieties.
Natural. This includes an ordinary gamma with key signs, if necessary. There are no random ones in natural major. This is the most common form of the whole trio in musical works.
The sequence of tones of the scale here is observed as follows: T - T - PT - T - T - T - PT.
Melodic. As you remember, in melodic minor two steps were raised - 6th and 7th. In major, they do not increase, but, on the contrary, decrease. And the VI and VII steps change already during the downward movement. That is, the rules for the melodic minor are exactly the opposite. This makes it easy to remember their differences and commonalities.
An interesting feature here is this: due to the lowering of the sixth step, both increased and decreased intervals are formed between sounds - characteristic tritones. But in general, with an upward movement, a natural major is played here, and with a downward movement, the sixth and seventh steps are lowered.
Parallel Keys
Two types of keys (major and minor) are considered parallel if they have the same alteration symbols at the key. Examples of this phenomenon:
- A minor and C major. The parallelism is that they do not have any signs with the key.
- E minor and U of such keys with the key of F-sharp.
If you are looking for a key parallel to major, then remember one fact. The tonic of the minor parallel to it will be lower by a minor third.
Note that for melodic and harmonic majors, all accidentals are random. For example, in the harmonic E minor they are not taken out to the key, but are noted, where necessary, in the work itself.
So we have dismantled two harmonic types of the scale - major and minor. The first is characterized by an increased seventh step, the second - a reduced sixth. When listening to the game, performance, we will notice that such keys stand out from the background of others with their orientation, oriental style, which gives classical music some zest, originality of sound. In addition to harmonic, minor and major are characterized by a natural and melodic variety, which we also touched upon in this material.
Enjoying the sounds of music, we experience various emotions, sad or joyful. It is not surprising that a cheerful or, on the contrary, gloomy melody can influence our mood. Big role the most common musical modes are played in this - major and minor. How do they differ from each other? Let's try to figure it out.
Definition
Major(from Latin major- "greater") - a musical mode, the chord of which is built on a major third; characterized by a predominantly cheerful, joyful coloring of the sound.
Minor(from Latin minor- "smaller") - a musical mode, the chord of which is built on a minor third; usually sounds sad, depressing.
Comparison
The aesthetic contrast between minor and major is one of the most important in music. Minor is the opposite of major. According to the European musical tradition, sounds are separated using tones and semitones. Due to the physical characteristics of sounds and the physiological structure of the human ear, even such a smallness as a semitone, due to which a major third differs from a minor one, creates a huge contrast in the perception of sound. In most cases, major chords are perceived by listeners as joyful, while minor chords are perceived as sad. Remember how Mendelssohn's major "Wedding March" sounds? Do you think that all marches are usually cheerful and energetic? This is not always the case: for example, Chopin's "Funeral March" is written in minor, and therefore, when listening, it creates a tragic, mournful feeling. Major has a pronounced “positive”, and minor has a pronounced “negative” coloring, which are usually defined by a person as “joy” and “sadness”. Moreover, surprisingly, the emotional coloring of chords practically does not depend on changes in the timbre or loudness of their constituent sounds. In addition, it also happens that major is able to express tragic, lyrical feelings, and minor - bright, joyful (for example, many American blues are written in major, and the Russian rollicking "Gypsy" - in minor).
Also (by analogy) in Russian, a cheerful, cheerful, elated state of mind is called a major, and a dull, sad, mournful, depressed state of mind is called a minor.
Findings site
- In music, a major chord is built on a major third, and a minor chord is built on a minor.
- In both minor and major scales, the order of intervals (tones and semitones) differs.
- It is believed that the major has the so-called light, and the minor has a dark, gloomy coloring of the sound. This sound contrast is best perceived by ear.
- Major causes positive emotions, that is, joy, minor - negative ones, such as sadness, despondency, grief.
- A major is also called a cheerful, cheerful, high spirits, while a minor is often called a depressed, sad, dull state.
You already know that most often music is recorded in major and minor scale. Both of these modes have three varieties each - natural scale, harmonic and melodic. There is nothing terrible behind these names: they all have the same basis, only certain steps (VI and VII) change in the harmonic and melodic major or minor. They go up in minor and go down in major.
3 types of major: the first is natural
natural major- this is an ordinary major scale with its key signs, if they exist, of course, and without any accidental accidentals. From three types this major in musical works are found more often than others.
The major scale is based on the well-known formula from the sequence in the scale of whole tones and semitones: T-T-PT-T-T-T-PT . You can read more about this.
Look at some simple examples major scales in its natural form: the natural C major, the G major scale in its natural form, and the natural F major scale:
3 types of major: the second - harmonic
Harmonic major is a major with a reduced sixth degree (VIb). This sixth step is lowered in order to be closer to the fifth. The low sixth step in major sounds very interesting - it seems to “minor” it, and it becomes gentle, acquires shades of oriental languor.
This is how the harmonic major scales of the previously shown keys C major, G major and F major look like.
In C major, an A-flat appeared - a sign of a change in the natural sixth step, which has become harmonic. In G major, the sign E-flat appeared, and in F-major - D-flat.
3 types of major: the third is melodic
As in, in the major of that de variety, two steps change at once - VI and VII, only everything here is exactly the opposite. Firstly, these two sounds do not rise, as in the minor key, but fall. Secondly, they alter not during an upward movement, but during a downward one. However, everything is logical: in the melodic minor in the ascending movement they rise, and in the melodic minor in the descending movement they decrease. Like, that's how it should be.
It is curious that due to the lowering of the sixth step, all sorts of interesting intervals can form between this step and other sounds - increased and decreased. It can be or - I recommend that you figure it out.
melodic major- this is such a major scale in which a natural scale is played during an ascending movement, and two steps are lowered during a descending movement - the sixth and seventh (VIb and VIIb).
Note examples of the melodic type - the key of C major, G major and F major:
In melodic C major, two “random” flats appear in the downward movement - B-flat and A-flat. In G major of the melodic type, F-sharp is first canceled (the seventh step is lowered), and then a flat appears before the note E (the sixth step is lowered). In melodic F major, two flats appear: E-flat and D-flat.
And one more time...
So, there are. This natural(simple), harmonic(with a lowered sixth stage) and melodic(in which, when moving up, you need to play / sing a natural scale, and when moving down, you need to lower the seventh and sixth steps).
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To know how to determine the tonality of a work, it is required, first of all, to understand the concept of “tonality”. You are already familiar with this term, so I will just remind you without delving into the theory.
Tonality - in general, is the pitch of the sound, in this case - the pitch of the sound of a fret - for example, major or minor. Mode is the construction of a scale according to a certain scheme, and, in addition, mode is a specific sound coloring of the scale (major mode is associated with light colors, minor - with sad notes, a shadow).
The height of each specific depends on its tonic (the main stable note). That is, the tonic is the note to which the mode is attached. Fret in interaction with tonic gives tonality - that is, a set of sounds arranged in a certain order, located at a specific height.
How to determine the tone of a piece by ear?
It is important to understand here that not at any moment of sound Can you tell exactly what tone it sounds like? this part works. Need to choose individual moments and analyze them. What are these moments? This may be the very beginning or the very end of the work, as well as the end of any section of the work or even a single phrase. Why? Because the beginnings and ends sound stable, they assert, and in the middle there is usually a movement away from the main key.
So, choosing a fragment for yourself, pay attention to two things:
- what in the work general mood, which inclination is major or minor?
- what sound is the most stable, what sound is suitable for completing the piece?
When you determine this, you should have a clearing. It depends on the type of inclination whether it is a major key or a minor one, that is, what is the mode of the key. Well, the tonic, that is, the steady sound that you heard, can simply be picked up on the instrument. So, you know the tonic and you know the modal mood. What else is needed? Nothing, just put them together. For example, if you heard a minor mood and the tonic F, then the key will be F minor.
How to determine the key of a work in sheet music?
But how to determine the tonality of a work if you have notes on hand? You probably already guessed that you should pay attention to the signs at the key. In most cases, these signs and tonic can accurately determine the tone, because key signs put you before the fact, offering only two specific keys: one major and one minor parallel to it. What is the tone in this work depends on tonic. You can read more about key signs.
Finding the tonic can be tricky. Often this is the last note piece of music or his logically completed phrase, a little less often it is also the first. If, for example, a work begins with an overtact (an incomplete measure preceding the first), then often the stable note is not the first, but the one that falls on strong beat first normal full measure.
Do not be too lazy to look at the accompaniment part, you can guess from it which note is the tonic. Very often the accompaniment beats the tonic triad, which, as the name implies, contains the tonic, and, by the way, the mode too. The final accompaniment chord almost always contains it.
Summarizing the above, here are a few steps that you must take if you want to determine the key of a piece:
- By ear - find out the general mood of the work (major or minor).
- Having notes on hand, look for signs of alteration (at the key or random in places where the key changes).
- Determine the tonic - conditionally, this is the first or last sound of the melody, if it does not fit, determine the stable, "supporting" note by ear.
It is hearing that is your main tool in resolving the issue to which this article is devoted. Following these simple rules, you will be able to determine the key of a piece of music quickly and correctly, later you will learn to determine the key at a glance. Good luck!
By the way, a good hint for you on initial stage can become a cheat sheet known to all musicians -. Try to use it - very convenient.
