So surely it cannot only be the shape of the chord. In fact the visual diagram of a first inversion C major triad would look shockingly similar to the root position minor triad shown above. Of course once we begin talking about chord inversions, this theory gets a little more complicated. Could this actually have anything to do with the common emotional association of each chord? Perhaps not, but it is thought provoking none-the-less. Take a look at this visual representation.Īs you can see from the clever picture, both chords contain the same amount of “space”, but if we focus on the positioning of the notes with respect to the lowest note, the major chord just looks more…confident than the minor chord, which looks almost droopy. The third can essentially be viewed as the center point of the chord, which can be why it has such an effect on the way the chord sounds. Both contain a major and minor interval, but they sound like completely different chords due to where those intervals are placed. C to Eb is a minor third and Eb to G is a major third. If we look at C minor, which is composed of C, Eb and G, we will find the opposite. C to E is a major third and E to G is a minor third. We will simplify things by using C major and C minor as examples.Ĭ major is composed of the notes C, E and G. Let’s focus on the difference between major and minor. Finally, an augmented chord is made by raising the 5th of a major chord by one half step. A diminished chord is made by lowering both the 3rd and the 5th by one half step. A minor chord is made by lowering the 3rd by one half step. A major chord contains no alterations to the 3rd or the 5th. The four qualities are major, minor, diminished and augmented. By altering the 3rd or the 5th, we can make four different qualities of chords. These three notes include the root, some sort of 3rd and some sort of 5th. In its simplest form, a chord is composed of three notes played simultaneously, which is also known as a triad. Could there be a link between the actual intervals contained in the chord and our emotions? (Warning: Haters of music theory should only skim this segment) Did minor chords get the sad stigma because they were used in sad songs, or were minor chords originally chosen for sad songs because those chords already sounded sad by themselves? Perhaps it is something that slowly evolved over time?Īs another theory, we can examine the notes that make up the chords themselves. However, why was the minor sound chosen for those songs in the first place? This is similar to the “chicken or the egg” scenario. In other words, we hear songs that are about sad subjects, most of which utilize that minor sound, and therefore associate the minor sound with sadness. Simply put, we attribute such emotions to certain chords and scales because those particular chords and scales are used in songs we’ve heard that evoke a certain emotion. This is the first theory that pops into my head, but it seems to bring up more questions than answers. I am simply stating what I am aware of and theories that seem plausible to me. The question then arises, why? Please note, I understand that this topic has been studied and discussed amongst people who have done far more research than I have. Does either one make you happy? Sad? Enthusiastic? Shameful? Envious? Enthralled? Sympathetic? Hungry?Īlright so maybe you don’t experience anything too deep from these two tiny, simple melodies, but if you are like most people, you would classify example 1 as “happy” and example 2 as “sad”. Think about what emotion you feel as you listen to them. Example 2 uses the same melody, but now minor chords are being used. Take a listen to these two melodic lines.Įxample 2: example 1, an A major chord is arpeggiated, leading to a D major chord. It was almost as if I naturally associated those chord qualities with those feelings.įor now let’s focus on major and minor chords, as these are the most common and the easiest to associate with emotion. No one ever sat me down as a kid and said, “when you hear a major chord you will feel happy, but once you lower the third of that chord, you’re gonna cry”. What is it that makes a minor chord “sad” sounding and a major chord “happy” sounding? How can a combination of musical notes actually affect us emotionally? It is one of those topics that never really comes up because it is so engraved in our brains. I’ve always wondered why certain chords and scales evoke certain emotions.