minor
A scale, key, or chord with a darker, more melancholy quality than major.
In Depth
The minor mode is defined by a lowered third degree — the interval between the first and third notes is a minor third (three semitones) rather than a major third (four semitones). This single difference gives minor its characteristic darker, more complex emotional quality compared to major.
There are three forms of the minor scale: natural minor (using only the notes of the key signature), harmonic minor (with a raised seventh for a stronger cadence), and melodic minor (with raised sixth and seventh ascending, natural descending). Minor keys dominate some of the most emotionally intense music ever written — Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, Mozart's Requiem, and Chopin's Funeral March are all in minor keys.
Studies have shown that songs in minor keys are perceived as sad across cultures, though the association is stronger in Western listeners — suggesting it is partly learned and partly innate.