What Major and Minor Keys Feel Like

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What Major and Minor Keys Feel Like

Have you noticed that all notes, scales, and keys make you feel a little different? How they even make you think of something specific? Well, that’s what music does!

It’s supposed to make you feel emotion-happy, sad, excited, scared, etc. Some people even see colors when playing in a specific key! One way they do this is through the key of the song. In this article I will focus specifically on what major and minor keys feel like.

The different keys of music are so important in the way we must feel when playing a certain song. To give you the first example that comes to mind is to be able to feel specific emotions during movies because of music. If you took away the music, you’d be left with just acting that may, or may not, be that great.

It’s supposed to make you feel emotion!

I love the flute so much because we can play virtually everything. We can play jazz, we can play classical, pop, loud blatty notes, soft airy sounds, woody sounds, sounds like animals, etc. The flute is pretty awesome and very diverse 🙂 If we took all of those kinds of sounds we can make, plus all the keys… The flute is basically the coolest instrument ever!

What the Major Key should feel like:   Playing in the major key sounds and feels light and happy. You can sense the joy in the piece you’re playing. You can feel calm, excited, complacent, gentle, love, bouncy, etc. Playing the song “Scherzino” by Anderson makes me feel like I’m on a horse going through a flowery field and having to jump over little brooks and streams sparkling with the sun shining. Sounds like a perfect scene to me!

What the Minor Key should feel like:   Playing in the minor key could sound sad, depressing, scary, terrifying, a sense of misery, lost, stressful, etc. A scene from a movie could come to mind. Like when I hear notes that are right next to each other like g to g# repeated over and over again starting slow and gradually moving up in tempo, I imagine the movie “Jaws” and the shark coming towards me-and that’s only two notes!

Imagine what a whole song can do!

It really depends on the piece that is written and the key. That’s why there are so many different pieces of music written! Some are written specifically for a scene in a movie, for finger exercises in different keys, because the tune just cannot leave their heads, for a specific event in the composer’s life or for someone else’s, etc. I’m sure you’ve heard of pieces written for loved ones, or to help people release emotion- happy or sad. Sometimes I ask students to write me a story to the piece they are playing to help release emotion into their piece. For some, it helps them to visualize what’s being played, rather than just through hearing it.

Who knew that musicians were storytellers too! Get out there and tell you’re story through your amazing flute playing abilities 🙂

Have any questions? Comment below and I will help you out.

Rebecca FullerRebecca Fuller
Get Flutie with us! Learn and enjoy every musical minute.

6 thoughts on “What Major and Minor Keys Feel Like”

  1. Hi Rebecca

    A song that makes me feel sad is “Con Partiro” (Time ot Say Goodbye) especially when sung by Andrea Bocelli. 🙁

    One that makes me jump for joy is “Dancing Queen” by ABBA. 🙂

  2. Si asi como se presiente, la caracteristica de los acordes, permiten desarrollar o sentir diferentes tipos de emociones, si la tonalidad, Mayor, menor, y hasta el disminuido, hacen sentir emociones diferentes, algunas veces hasta preparando, el cambio de ritmo, o el carácter de la ejecución

  3. Thank you Rebecca! You just confirmed to me a lot regarding music. I feel that musicians, like visual artist to endeavor to tell a story. Stories are always pertinent to each person and they can go away from seeing or hearing something that will inspire them for the rest of their lives. I’ve signed up for flute lessons and am enjoying each modular. I feel growth all ready.

    1. Hi Theresa, thanks for posting today. Yes, music does tell stories, and the emotional connection it gives is unlike anything else in this universe. You have this right. So glad you’re here. See you again soon! ~Rebecca

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