Without the G# leading tone, the natural minor scale can be ambiguous and lack movement, and can kill a tune by stripping it of musical motion. While we are going to discuss these different minor scale variations here a little bit, it’s best not to get caught up in them: in the real world, minor melodies, and the chords supporting them, can vary between the different minor scales in the same piece of music.īecause of the way that we traditionally write a chord progression, where specific tones move towards the tonic or dominant for resolution, the chords that come up in the melodic minor scale or harmonic minor scale are often used rather than the natural minor scale. Since there are three distinct minor scales – the natural minor scale, the harmonic minor scale, and the melodic minor scale – some of these chords are altered based on which scale you choose, as we’re about to see. seems pretty chipper in this version of “Losing My Religion” in a major key:īefore you can play with chord progressions, let’s talk about the different chords available in minor.
Notice how the change from minor chords to major chords nearly changes the overall style to something that might fit better on a country radio station. Characteristic of major chords, the song sounds unusually chipper and almost happy, regardless of the lyrics and meaning behind the song. tune “Losing My Religion” transposed to a major key. And no, learning minor keys and chords isn’t just for songwriters – they’re also a must for anyone who wants to improve their ear, cover others’ songs, and understand music theory.īefore we dive into the music theory of how we build these melancholy minor chords, let’s compare major vs.
It’s important to remember that everlasting, perpetual happiness in music gets boring. Though it may be tempting for the beginner musician to stick to major keys only, the world of minor keys isn’t as sad as it seems – quite the contrary! Minor chords add a depth and richness to your music that major chords alone would not give you. While music written in major keys sounds bright and cheery, minor keys tends to be darker and sadder, with chords to match. Western music is dominated by two tonalities: major and minor. Let’s start off with a bit of basic but important music theory. Your Minor Journey A Tale of Two Tonalities Writing Your Own Minor Chord Progressionsħ. With enough listening practice and lessons, you’ll be able to recognize minor chord progressions in songs almost instantly – this will come with time!Ĥ.
#MAJOR CHORDS QMIDI HOW TO#
Sometimes the same chord can appear as major and minor in the very same song!īut this heady harmonic mix is nothing to be afraid of.īy the end of this article, you’ll not only understand how minor chords are made, but you’ll know some common minor chord progressions, how they’re derived from a minor scale, how to write these progressions, how they can be used in your own music, and how to come up with your own. Minor key songs frequently modulate to major and back to minor. Minor scales and minor chord progressions generally contain richer harmonic possibilities than the typical major keys and major chord progressions. A minor scale gives flavor and emotion to a song, adding a level of musical depth that can make a mediocre song moving and distinct from others.īecause so many of our favorite songs are in major keys, those that are in minor keys can stand out, and some musical styles like rock or jazz thrive on complex minor scales and harmonic wizardry. Now it’s time to delve into the exciting world of minor chords with the lessons below. Many of us are familiar with popular major chord progressions like I–IV–V–I.
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