If you were taught that major chords sound happy and minor ones sad, it might be worthwhile reconsidering this assumption. Contrary to popular belief, this conclusion does not rely on inherent characteristics of chords themselves but on how they pair with one another.
Hey Jude is played in E major but elicits feelings of loss and heartache due to musical tradition and culture.
Major Scales
Though songs in major keys tend to sound happier and those in minor keys tend to bring about sadness, these qualities do not stem from the scale itself; rather they come from its subject matter which determines how it resonates emotionally with listeners.
Intervals between each note in any scale are equal; what differentiates tones is where each begins; for instance, C major and G major start on different notes but when progressed through using whole steps and half steps will sound similarly.
Addition of minor chords can often add tension and emotional depth to a song written in major keys, so having some minors helps balance and maintain emotional tension in the piece. Playing only majors may become tedious or even depressing if done exclusively, while minor chords create balance and emotional depth through creating balance and emotional tension.
Major Triads
A major triad is an easy, consonant three-note chord used in tonal music as its primary harmonic building block. Composed of its roots, major 3rd, and perfect fifth notes (see intervals), numerous musical genres utilize major triads.
Researchers have suggested that major and minor chords sounding happy or sad can be explained by physical characteristics within the chord itself; others suggest this could simply be how our minds respond to musical sounds. Studies have confirmed this – both Western adults and children have consistently perceived major and minor chords as either cheerful or unhappy, depending on who plays it.
Take a listen to this C major triad and observe its interval between root and third; it is this quality which defines major chords from minor chords, so use this training environment to practice recognising them quickly by ear.
Major Chords
Major chords evoke happiness because they consist of the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes in a major scale; thus making them some of the happiest chords in music. Major chords form the basis for numerous songs and when played correctly can convey optimism and hope to listeners.
Adam Neely, an instructor of guitar at Arizona State University explains this by discussing brightness – or relative interval sizes. When performing a major chord with a minor third stacked above it, its major third will appear more quickly in its harmonic overtone series than its minor third counterpart and therefore make the sound brighter and more energetic than if the interval size were the same for both chords.
However, he emphasizes that this statement is not universal and that other elements like tempo, timbre, rhythm and melody may also have an effect. A study conducted at Western Sydney University further supports this assertion and suggested that major chords’ association with happiness and minor chords with sadness may have more to do with culture and tradition than individual notes themselves.
Minor Chords
Many people interpret music through chords and melodies as an outlet to express feelings, making major and minor chords so essential in setting the mood of their song. Minor chords can evoke feelings of melancholy or sadness which makes them ideal for slow emotional songs.
Minor chords in music are created by shifting the middle note down by one semitone, one white or black key to the left of where it would normally sit on a piano keyboard. This technique creates what is often referred to as an Emin chord (minor seventh chord).
Musical psychologists have long speculated about why we associate minor-key music with being sad, while major key tunes tend to evoke feelings of happiness. One theory suggests this might be linked to how our brains process different sounds; but new research at Western Sydney University reveals our perceptions of major and minor are culturally-mediated rather than intrinsic to the sound itself.