Major and minor: what the m on a chord means
The letter m means minor. Compare A with Am, notice the one changed note, and hear how the third changes the chord.
Adrian3 minupdated
Once you already know a few chord names, the letter m is the most useful extra mark to read. A is A major, and Am is A minor. The same pairing shows up as D and Dm, and as E and Em.
Compare A and Am on the guitar
In the table the strings run from the sixth, the thickest, to the first, the thinnest. A × means skip that string, and 0 is an open string. The other numbers are fret numbers.
| chord | E6 | A5 | D4 | G3 | B2 | e1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Am | × | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Form A from the first row and strike the strings once downwards. Let the chord ring. Then play Am and go back to A. Try to strike with a similar strength, so volume does not hide the difference.
If the difference disappears, play the second string on its own, first on the second fret, then on the first. Only afterwards return to the full chords.
Where the different sound comes from
A and Am share the same root note, A. What differs is the third, one of the three notes that make a simple chord. In A that note is C♯, and in Am it is C.
From the root to the third there are four semitones in a major chord, and three in a minor one. On a guitar a semitone is the distance of one fret. That is why such a small move on the neck is enough to change the sound. You do not need to memorise the semitone counts before the first try. They only explain what you have just heard.
“Happy” and “sad” are associations, not a rule
Major is often described as brighter, and minor as more shaded. You can use that association if it helps. Do not treat it as a recipe for the mood of a song. Melody, rhythm, tempo, how you play and the words all count as well.
During the comparison you do not have to name an emotion. It is enough to notice that after the third changes, the chord has a different colour.
Listen without looking at the grip
Level 1 of Ear: chords picks A or Am, D or Dm, and E or Em. You hear one chord and choose major or minor. After a wrong answer the tool plays a comparison with the other chord of the same pair. Listen then mainly for the change of colour.
You do not need a particular score. When the answers start to feel like guessing, go back to a calm comparison on the guitar.
Find major and minor in songs
Look at the chord list under the title. First find the symbols with an m and without one. While you play, listen for what changes together with the chord symbol.