Here are a few songs that use both major and minor chords in their composition. Now that we have the theory behind major and minor chords, let’s see how they feel and sound under our fingers. One little switch on that second note has the power to make you feel hope or dread. But when it comes to determining major or minor chords, stay focused on the 3rd. Good catch! As you continue to learn, you’ll see how all these small changes create different scales. Play this run of notes and it sounds darker and heavier. This would become the A Natural Minor Scale and would be made up of these notes: A-B-C-D-E-F-G.
In this case, take the C#, and drop it 1 full note down. Now, to turn this major scale into a minor scale, focus in on that 3rd note. If you grab your guitar or bass and play this scale, it’ll sound cheerful and welcoming. This way, we can take a better look at the difference between a major scale and chord and a minor chord and scale.Ī scale is made up of 7 notes: the Root, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th.įor example, an A Major Scale would include these notes: A-B-C#-D-E-F#-G#. Let’s try visualizing how a minor or major scale is constructed. Constructing Major and Minor Chords & Scales And with practice, it’ll become second nature to transition between major and minor chords and learn the correct positioning for many of these chords. Once you know those “rules” and patterns, you can figure out pretty much anything on your own. You can apply this formula to figure out the notes in any major or minor scale. A minor chord contains the 1st, flattened 3rd, and 5th degree of the major scale of that note.A major chord contains the 1st, 3rd, and 5th degree of the major scale.The difference between a major and minor chord comes down to one, simple change: the 3rd in a scale. But now, we’re going to dive a little deeper and get a more detailed, slightly more technical explanation to help learn to identify and play major and minor chords. That’s because major chords tend to sound brighter and minor chords sound darker.Īnd if we were 9 years old, that explanation would be good enough. Maybe you remember being taught that major chords = happy and minor chords = sad. You probably have a vague memory of your elementary school music class.