MAJOR AND MINOR


Major means large and minor means small.
In music major and minor are about the third, the interval between the 1st and 3rd note of the scale.
This interval makes that a major scale sounds very different from a minor scale.


In the example you see the major- and minor scale. The interval between the 1st and 3rd tone of the major scale is a major third. The third of the minor scale is a minor third.
Because of the differences between the third's the whole scales sound completely different.

In the example you also see the chords, made from these scales.

A chord consists of the first, the third and the fifth tone of a scale.

Also in the chords, the thirds are major and minor. So the chords sound also different.
The major chord consists of the basic tone, a major third and a fifth.
The minor chord consists of the basic tone, a minor third and a fifth.

Finally you can listen to:
a major scale and a minor scale

And also a simple song:
Twinkle twinkle little star in a major scale (this is normal) and,
Twinkle twinkle in a minor scale