Major vs. minor
Take a major triad and lower just the middle note, the third, by one semitone. The whole chord darkens. That single move is the difference between major (bright, open) and minor(shadowed, inward), and it's the most important mood switch in music.
One note, two moods
Same root, same fifth. Only the middle note moves, and everything changes. Tap each dot.
Zoom in on the third
Hear the move by itself first, E sliding down to E♭, then hear what it does inside the chord.
Game · Bright or dark?
1 / 5A mystery chord. Is it major (bright) or minor (dark)?
Game · Build the chord
1 / 5Now build them yourself, from nothing but the name. The recipe, in semitones: a major chord stacks 4 then 3 (root to third, third to fifth); a minor chord flips it, 3 then 4. Either way the fifth lands 7 semitones up. Count every key, black ones included.
Build C major. Tap the root: C.
Quiz
1 / 3Major and minor triads differ by…