Re: [Harp-L] Why do we associate major with happy and minor with sad?

[Chesper Nevins <chespernevins@xxxxxxxxx>]

>> I was thinking that it's because minor keys have more flats than major keys.

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 9:38 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Only some minor keys have flats. Plenty of them have sharps - E minor (1
> sharp), C# minor (4 sharps), etc.

True.  I was simplifying to make a point.  Thinking enharmonically,
less sharps = more flats. Any minor key either has more flats or less
sharps than its parallel major.

====

The minor keys all lie in a flat direction around the cycle of fifths
from their parallel majors.  (But parallel minor and major keys share
the same tonic).

For example, C minor has the key signature of Eb major, which has more
flats than its parallel major C major.  Eb major (C minor) is 3 steps
FLAT from C major on the cycle of fifths.  They both have C as the
tonic.

E minor has the key signature of G major, which has less sharps than
its parallel major E major.   G major (E minor) is also 3 steps FLAT
from E major on the cycle of fifths.  They both have E as the tonic.

===

Play C Major over C in the bass.  Then play C minor over C in the
bass.  Far more notes in C Minor have a flat-lying relationship to the
bass than they do in C Major.

Look at each scale laid out in fifths:

C Major:

B
E
A
D
G
C <- tonic
F <- this note is flat lying to C

C Minor:

D
G
C <- tonic
F < - this note and those below are flat lying to C
Bb
Eb
Ab

> The natural minor scale is identical to the major scale in its intervallic
> structure , so it really doesn't have any more inherent  tension.

This doesn’t take into account the intervallic structure of each mode
in relation to its tonic or tonic chord.  The intervallic structure of
the major and minor modes are not the same when taken in relation to
their tonics or tonic chords.

Major (Tonic chord C Major: C E G ):
C D E F G A B C = W W H W W W H

Minor (Tonic Chord C Minor: C Eb G ):
C D Eb F G Ab Bb C = W H W W H W W

===

Look at the two scales in terms of tetrachords:

C Major = C Major tetrachord (C D E F) + G Major tetrachord (G A B C)
C Minor = C Minor tetrachord (C D Eb F) + G Phrygian tetrachord (G Ab Bb C)

Compare the top tetrachords alone:  G Major tetrachord (G A B C) vs. G
Phrygian tetrachord (G Ab Bb C).  These sound very different in they
way that they resolve to their respective tonic chords.

Jason aka CN

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 9:38 PM, Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Only some minor keys have flats. Plenty of them have sharps - E minor (1
> sharp), C# minor (4 sharps), etc.
> The natural minor scale is identical to the major scale in its intervallic
> structure , so it really doesn't have any more inherent  tension. However,
> in much minor music, the 6th and 7th degrees of the scale are raised at
> certain points in the music, which can introduce additional tensions.
> The overtones generated by a bass note form a major triad. For instance, a C
> bass note generates, C, G,C again, then E, then G again, then a very flat
> Bb. When you voice an Eb (third of a C minor chord) against the implied
> E-natural, you set up tension.
> Frankly, I think a lot of this minor = sad stuff is purely cultural.
> Winslow
> Winslow Yerxa
> Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
> Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
> Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
> Columnist, harmonicasessions.com
>
> ________________________________
> From: Chesper Nevins <chespernevins@xxxxxxxxx>
> To: michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx; harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Wed, November 24, 2010 7:32:39 AM
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Why do we associate major with happy and minor with
> sad?
>
> Michael,
>
> I was thinking that it's because minor keys have more flats than major keys.
>
> C D E F G A B resolving to a C major chord has only the F tension note
> resolving down to the E.  The B resolves "up" to C, while the A is
> pretty consonant with the C Major chord.
>
> C D Eb F G Ab Bb resolving to a C Minor chord has Ab resolving to the
> G, F resolving to the Eb, and Bb could optionally resolve down to G.
> Even when the Bb resolves up to the C, it is not as "naturally
> uplifting" as the B -> C of the major.
>
> I just feel that in minor, there are more notes that have a tendency
> to carry the "weight" of wanting to resolve downwards, giving us a
> sadder feel.
>
> Jason
>
>>> > Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:50:59 -0600
>>> > From: michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx
>>> > To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>>> > Subject: [Harp-L] Why do we associate major with happy and minor with
>>> > sad? (No harp content)
>>> >
>>> > Guesses?
>>> > Michael Rubin
>>> > Michaelrubinharmonica.com
>
> http://myspace.com/jasonharmonica
>
>



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