Major or Minor

Objective. Nearly all of our groups of pitches, and everything we create with them, can be broadly defined as sounding either major or minor. In this chapter we seek to gain the ability to aurally recognize both the major and minor aural colorings as well as what is the fundamental theoretical difference between them. We'll also touch on how the major / minor dichotomy provides the emotional backgrounds for creating all of the styles of music we love.

Recognize this melody? Example 1.

The major scale. Created by descending stepwise motion of the pitches of the major scale, Lowell Mason's 1822 hymn "Joy To The World", is perhaps as simple a use of the major scale pitches possible yet it still creates the classic, emotionally uplifting character associated with the major tonality. The term tonality as used here implying the overall emotional quality or personality of the music. Sound this melody out on your instrument, read the notation or play along with the midi file. For those so impassioned, "run" the melody through a few of the other major scales as well.

Let's extract the major scale from the chromatic scale. Example 2.

The top line of the above chart adds our scale degrees, simply a way to number each of the pitches of the major scale. Thus, the first degree of the C major scale is the pitch C, D is the second, E is the third etc. In the following chart, we extract the pitches of the C major scale and label the intervals for each pitch as measured from our root pitch, C. The root pitch of any scale, arpeggio or chord is always it's fundamental note and designated by the number one. In describing the intervals, we combine a numerical scale degree with quality of sound. Example 3. (1)

Hear the sound of the major scale intervals from the above chart as sounded from the fundamental or root pitch. Example 4.

Notice how all of the intervals are designated as either major (maj.) or perfect (per.) in the above example? It is with the major and "perfect" quality of intervals that we generate the composite tone color of the major scale. If we change the quality of the intervals, we change the overall scale color and thus it's emotional effect and personality.

Scale formulas. We theorists often use a sort of shorthand when writing out our various stepwise interval formulas for our scales. We use the numerical symbols of "1/2" to represent a half step interval and the number "1" for a whole step. Examine the stepwise major scale formula in the following chart. (2) Example 5.

To verbalize the above chart, we move upward a whole step from our root C to D, from D up a whole step to E, up a half step to F, from F up a whole step to G, up a whole step to A, whole step to B and then close our loop with a half step from B to C. Here is the formula for the major scale. Example 6.

The essential magic of equal temper tuning allows us to project this major scale formula, and any other of our musical components, successfully from each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale, creating 12 perfectly, similarly tuned and sounding major scales. Of course, today we musicians often take this for granted ... but realize that in it's day, say circa 1700, this ability to create and "equally and perfectly" tune the major scale from each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale on keyboard instruments, was nothing less than a giant headache ... that is until folks figured out and accepted as "in tune", the pitches of equal temper tuning when applied to the piano. Turns out historically that "knowing how" preceded "acceptance" of the sound of equal temper tuning. But then again in those days, the "word" just didn't get around all that fast. (3)

So what determines major or minor quality? Getting back to our chapter topic of major / minor tonality, you may have noticed that in the charts above that the 3rd scale degree, our lettered pitch E in the above examples, is consistently in bold type. It's the interval quality of the 3rd scale degree above the starting fundamental or root pitch, that determines whether our scales, arpeggios and chords are either major or minor. (4) Compare the sound of the following three note chords that we theorists call triads. Example 7.

Hear the difference in the three note chords, termed triads, moving from the major to the minor color? (5) See how the middle note changes in the notation? Here are the letter names of the pitches in chart form. Example 8.

From the above chart we can see that the third of our triad determines it's major or minor quality. In the above C triads, we simply lower the major 3rd by half step, from E to Eb, to create a minor third above the root pitch and invoke the minor tonality. Conversely, we could raise our minor 3rd by half step to make it major. Cool? This basic adjustment of the 3rd will "flip" all of our scales, arpeggios and chords between the major and minor tonalities. As time and availability allow, do find these pitches / triads at the piano and experiment a bit with the sounds. O.K. with finding the "middle C" on the piano keyboard? (6)

Moving back to our scales, close your eyes and let your ears decide which way our two tonalities are moving. Major to minor or ... minor to major. Example 9.

Well ... which way did the tonalities move? Major to minor or vice versa? Being the sharpsters that we are, the flats in bars 14 and 15 do give it away eh? Right, minor tonality to major. So, are there other tonalities? In theory yes, and over the years composers have created additional tonalities a couple of ways. (7) That said, I would venture to guess that neither you or I could sing the melody, from memory, of a musical opus that was not written in either the major or minor tonality.

"Making Art Happen" Composers often pair the two tonalities of major and minor in one composition, using each color to portray the emotional nature of the melody in supporting the poetry or words to be sung. The classic love song "Greensleeves", dating from the 15th century, begins in the minor tonality. Example 10.

Can you sing the next phrase of this song from memory? In which of our two tonalities does it start in? Major or minor? Here's the melody to help refresh your recollection. Example 11.

In the second part of the song, each of the two phrases starts in the major tonality, moves along a few bars and then returns to the minor color, the original emotional environment of the song. Dig out the words and sing them along with the music, hear how the composer personifies their thoughts with the various sound colors of the music. For those in the know, this pairing of musical color with the emotional character of the story is a huge part of what opera is all about. Learn and memorize this song on your instrument, join 500 years or so of music history, and share your new music with those you love.

A essential bit of music theory magic in regards to the major / minor. Now that we have discussed the two main tonalities of our musical system, the major and minor colors, lets explore the relationship we find at the piano keyboard between it's first and last pitches, the "A" and "C." Like so many other aspects of our music theory, there is a bit of magic built right into the standard piano keyboard that directly relates to the major / minor distinction of musical colors. Examine the following sounds. Example 12.

Here the difference in the two phrases? The first is in C major, the second in A minor. What is curious about this is that the letter name of the pitches used to create both melodic ideas are exactly the same. And furthermore, we can create both of these tonalities using just the white keys of the piano. Examine the letter names of the pitches of the C major and A minor scales. Example 13.

Adding in the scale degrees, we see that our "relative" groups start either on the third or sixth scale degree. So if we are thinking C major, it's relative minor group of pitches starts on it's sixth degree on pitch A. Thinking A minor, the relative major starts on it's third sale degree, the pitch C. Not only does this "scale within a scale" organization create a nice "ying and yang" emotional pairing for each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale, this naturally organic pairing of relative key centers is found all over our musical map. (6)

The song "Greensleeves" illustrated above, which I guess would be a "pop" tune from the 15th century, uses this relative major / minor pairing to support the poetry of the words. Gershwin's American operatic classic "Summertime", which later became an essential jazz standard, is clearly based on this key scheme. Rockers and Folk musicians continually go from A minor to C major, or vice versa, as in variations of the 50's "Teenager in Love" changes or chord progression. Beethoven's 5th Symphony, thunderous C minor followed by melodious Eb major. We can find this "relative major / minor pairing" just about everywhere we look in our music. We also can simply find it in the white keys of the piano. Try to find them as time permits. If your writing songs, write one with this major / minor pairing or, perhaps adapt an existing song you have written with these "relative" colors. O.k.?

Back to the piano keyboard. In taking up the relationship of the absolute first and last keys of the piano keyboard, the lowest "A" and the highest "C", we now know that if we sound the pitches from C to C, we get the sound of the C major scale. If we sound the keys from A to A, we get the sound of the A minor scale. We theorists say that these two distinct groups of pitches are "relative" to each other. We call them the "relative" major and minor scales because they share the exact same pitches. Thus our traditional 88 key piano keyboard goes from a low "A" to a high "C" to create fully, closed loops of pitches for both our major and minor tonalities. Needless to say the folks that first figured this all out were very smart indeed ! Examine the following graphic of the piano keys. Example 14.

The white keys of the piano, when played as pictured to the corresponding black keys, sounds the C major scale. Now we simply "shift" the keys a bit to get the "relative" minor of C major, A natural minor. Example 15.

Do notice that we simply start our A minor scale from a different pitch yes? And that the interval relationship between A and C is three half steps which creates a minor third interval, thus the overall sound of our A minor scale. Next time at a piano, do sound these groups out and get a sense of their colors. Use the sustain pedal underneath and gently push the keys one after another and hear the colors unfold.

Are there other distinct melodic groupings of pitches within just the white keys? There are. The original creators of our theory and the piano combined things in such a way as to sound seven distinct scales using just the white keys. There are three major and four minor groups of pitches within these white keys. Our "relative" major and minor are just two of the seven. They also happen to be among the most popular groups of pitches used by composers for the last five millennia or so. That's a long time.

Review. The major and minor tonality are the two main tonal colors of our system of music. Artists may use the technical, artistic term emotional environment to portray the emotional feeling of a song. Popular melodies in both the major and minor tonalities often use stepwise, pitch by pitch motion, for creating melodic line. Each "step" in a scale is given a number that we theorists term a scale degree. Using the whole step (1) and half step (1/2) intervals, we can create the interval formula of all of the scales within equal temper tuning. Equal temper tuning was revolutionary when first created as it allows for the major scale to be equally tuned when created from each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale. It's the 3rd degree of a scale or three note triad or chord that determines whether it's tonal color is major or minor. All of the our pitches, scales, arpeggios, chords and blue notes of our system of music theory can be extracted from somewhere within the perfectly closed loop of the chromatic scale. Both the major and minor tonalities live within the white keys of the piano. The C major and A minor keys are said to be "relatives" of each other as they share the exact same pitches. We can project a relative major and minor scale from each of the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale.

Vocabulary terms for this chapter. (1)

Ace this matching quiz then move onto the next chapter. So far so good yes? Comments / questions?

Bonus question!

Is major / minor tonality like the balance of the "Ying and yang?" What are your thoughts on this? info@jacmuse.com On to our next topic but first a quote ...

They who conquer others are strong, those who conquer themselves are mighty. Lao tzu

"evolution of scales"

(1) Appel, Willie and Ralph T. Daniel. The Harvard Brief Dictionary Of Music. New York: Pocket Books, a Simon and Schuster Division of Gulf and Western, 1960.

(2) Ottman, Robert. Elementary Harmony, Second Edition, p. 4-7. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1970.

(3) Isacoff, Stuart. Temperament ... The Idea That Solved Music's Greatest Riddle, p. 210. U.S.A. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 2001

(4) To find "middle C", sit at the middle of the piano, extend your arms outward to touch the furthest keys you can, then bend from the waist and bring your nose to gently touch the keys. The closest "C" is probably "middle C."

(5) Ottman, Robert. Advanced Harmony, Theory and Practice, Second Edition, p. 272- 298. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1970.

(6) Ottman, Robert. Elementary Harmony, Second Edition, p. 8. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1970.