Always stuck in minor

oligibbons · March 2019

Hi guys,

I've been doing a lot of home recording and writing lately and have only just realised that every single song, riff, solo, or piece of improv I produce is in a minor key. Everything. I have no idea why though. Thinking about it, I don't think if I even feel comfortable writing in a major key, which is ridiculous. Obviously this is a massive whole in my abilities and I need to work on it.

Are there some fun major key songs I can learn, or exercises I could practice to help with this?

JezWynd · March 2019

A course of Prozac maybe?

BahHumbug · March 2019

Its worth bearing in mind that an awful lot of popular music is in a minor key. In our society we have a bit of a tendency towards cynicism and austerity in art of all forms, which leads naturally towards music in minor keys. I tend to find that if I've ever written anything in a major key, I will regard it as a bit whimsical, not 'serious' music, Oh god I've written a novelty song etc. So, there's a mindset thing that has to happen (for me) to accept writing in major keys.

But maybe that's just me.

Here are a couple of random songs that I think are in major keys:

Three Little Birds by Bob Marley

Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves

flying_pie · March 2019

Nothing wrong with minor key for all songs. Pretty much every Metallica song is minor key with the exception of Escape from Ride The Lightning. It stands out as the weakest song on the album by a long shot.

Other major key songs include most Green Day/Blink 182. You've also got happy pub standards like Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen or 500 miles by Proclaimers

bloodandtears · March 2019

listen to Bryan Adams.. a bunch of his stuff is very "happy" focussed and not overly shite..

sev112 · March 2019

BahHumbug said:

Its worth bearing in mind that an awful lot of popular music is in a minor key. In our society we have a bit of a tendency towards cynicism and austerity in art of all forms, which leads naturally towards music in minor keys. I tend to find that if I've ever written anything in a major key, I will regard it as a bit whimsical, not 'serious' music, Oh god I've written a novelty song etc. So, there's a mindset thing that has to happen (for me) to accept writing in major keys.
But maybe that's just me.
Here are a couple of random songs that I think are in major keys:
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves

Only for people with nicknames like yours

the irony

Vaiai · March 2019

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

flying_pie · March 2019

Vaiai said:

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

Minor chords but major key. Bear in mind in a major key only the tonic, 4th and 5th chords are major. The rest are minor (except for the 7th which is diminished)

thecolourbox · March 2019

Yeah I was going to suggest keeping your minor key for your chords and riffs but doing tunes in the relative major. Or vice versa.

So if in D minor, tune in F Major

Branshen · March 2019

You need more Jason Mraz in your life...

Rocker · March 2019

If it works then keep on doing it!

oligibbons · March 2019

Modellista · March 2019

flying_pie said:

Vaiai said:

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

Minor chords but major key. Bear in mind in a major key only the tonic, 4th and 5th chords are major. The rest are minor (except for the 7th which is diminished)

Eh?

There's no way Hot Stuff is in Bb major (or any other major key) rather than Gm.

Modellista · March 2019

Back to the OP's original point. I've been playing a lot of country recently and am stuck in a major key rut, although that's in terms of improvising rather than formal composing. Even the sad songs (Your Cheatin' Heart) manage to make a major key sound sad, although in a syrupy "diddums" way rather than a slit-your-wrists way.

Something like You Are My Sunshine is a clever song, with a very upbeat chorus but achingly sad verses, all in a major key.

Even if you do like writing angsty songs, it might be worth trying to force yourself to compose in a major key just as an exercise.

I think flying_pie's point above was, there's a lot of access to minor chords even in a major key. Take a progession like Am-Em-Bm-D - that's in G but sounds sad enough if you stick just to those chords. And then there's a big resolution to G major just waiting for you.

viz · March 2019

Modellista said:

flying_pie said:

Vaiai said:

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

Minor chords but major key. Bear in mind in a major key only the tonic, 4th and 5th chords are major. The rest are minor (except for the 7th which is diminished)

Eh?

There's no way Hot Stuff is in Bb major (or any other major key) rather than Gm.

Wiz. I think that bloke’s “work out the key by finding 2 adjacent major chords and that’s the IV and the V” thing has a lot to answer for in terms of confusing the fuck out of thousands of people.

It is in a MINOR KEY (G minor) but (no, sorry, ‘AND’) has a KEY SIGNATURE of 2 flats, like G minor, Bb major, and others.

For soloing over hotstuff (in G minor), I did a short thingie here by the way. Please enjoy the faces.

https://youtu.be/tisxCM7aAbk

https://youtu.be/yUD2FK1ArKU

flying_pie · March 2019

viz said:

Modellista said:

flying_pie said:

Vaiai said:

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

Minor chords but major key. Bear in mind in a major key only the tonic, 4th and 5th chords are major. The rest are minor (except for the 7th which is diminished)

Eh?

There's no way Hot Stuff is in Bb major (or any other major key) rather than Gm.

Wiz. I think that bloke’s “work out the key by finding 2 adjacent major chords and that’s the IV and the V” thing has a lot to answer for in terms of confusing the fuck out of thousands of people.

It is in a MINOR KEY (G minor) but (no, sorry, ‘AND’) has a KEY SIGNATURE of 2 flats, like G minor, Bb major, and others.

For soloing over hotstuff (in G minor), I did a short thingie here by the way. Please enjoy the faces.

https://youtu.be/tisxCM7aAbk

https://youtu.be/yUD2FK1ArKU

My bad. I thought the vocal melody had a major third but will gladly stand corrected.

viz · March 2019

flying_pie said:

viz said:

Modellista said:

flying_pie said:

Vaiai said:

We do Hot Stuff - uptempo disco tune - it's almost all Minor chords (Gm).

Minor chords but major key. Bear in mind in a major key only the tonic, 4th and 5th chords are major. The rest are minor (except for the 7th which is diminished)

Eh?

There's no way Hot Stuff is in Bb major (or any other major key) rather than Gm.

Wiz. I think that bloke’s “work out the key by finding 2 adjacent major chords and that’s the IV and the V” thing has a lot to answer for in terms of confusing the fuck out of thousands of people.

It is in a MINOR KEY (G minor) but (no, sorry, ‘AND’) has a KEY SIGNATURE of 2 flats, like G minor, Bb major, and others.

For soloing over hotstuff (in G minor), I did a short thingie here by the way. Please enjoy the faces.

https://youtu.be/tisxCM7aAbk

https://youtu.be/yUD2FK1ArKU

My bad. I thought the vocal melody had a major third but will gladly stand corrected.

No prob and fair enough etc; I think the primary thing in music is to know what the home-note is (it’s G), then to worry about whether it’s major or minor (it’s minor); then you avoid the trap of somehow convincing yourself it’s in Eb major or whatever.

flying_pie · March 2019

@viz (nice skills BTW) I think the primary thing in music is to write /play /sing whatever fits the song best . Key, time signature, tempo, groove, tone, instruments used,
blah blah blah all are equally relevant. Music theory can help and can hinder.

Upon further reflection perhaps this all illustrates how the key isn't that important. Major keys can be sad or heavy and minor can be upbeat. It's the overall approach that matters most

Jalapeno · March 2019

Strum something in C Major, then widdle away in Am pentatonic - use your ear not resolve to A, but C instead

Cirrus · March 2019

Don't get stuck in the dichotomy of things being Major or Minor. Look at modes, ways of subverting the key, study the composition of, say, Queens of the Stone Age songs to see what they do melodically that uses major intervals in quite unsettling ways. Use the music to paint the mood you want, rather than always playing music in a certain mood.

viz · March 2019

flying_pie said:

@viz (nice skills BTW) I think the primary thing in music is to write /play /sing whatever fits the song best . Key, time signature, tempo, groove, tone, instruments used,
blah blah blah all are equally relevant. Music theory can help and can hinder.

Oh yes, that too! I might point out the hotstuff solo was NOT supposed to be musical! It was supposed to be a silly showcase and out-of-place in the music. I couldn’t agree more, writing artistically is the number 1 thing.

But knowing your home note is, for me, the primary thing to get right from a mechanics-of-music perspective.

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Always stuck in minor

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