Welcome to this module, where we explore how music expresses and controls emotion, and joy and sadness in particular. Everything here revolves around the diatonic scale, major and minor chords, and the way they steer the emotion of a cue.

Understanding the Diatonic Scale

The diatonic scale is the most commonly used scale in Western music. It contains seven notes and comes in two flavors, major and minor.

• Major scale

  Structure: whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half (for example C major: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C). Sound: joyful, bright, positive.

• Minor scale

  Structure: whole, half, whole, whole, half, whole, whole (for example A minor: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, A). Sound: sad, dark, melancholic.

Major and Minor Chords

Chords are combinations of notes played at the same time. The two main types we'll be working with are major and minor chords.

• Major chord

  Structure: root, major third, perfect fifth. Example: C major (C, E, G). Emotion: positive, joyful, energetic.

• Minor chord

  Structure: root, minor third, perfect fifth. Example: A minor (A, C, E). Emotion: negative, sad, melancholic.

Turning Theory Into Mood

Here's how these ideas translate into actual writing.

Creating joyful moods

Use major chords, with common progressions such as I-IV-V-I (C-F-G-C).

Creating sad moods

Use minor chords, with common progressions such as i-iv-v-i (A minor - D minor - E minor - A minor).

Two progressions to hear the difference

Joyful progression (major)

• C major (C) - F major (F) - G major (G) - C major (C)

Sad progression (minor)

• A minor (Am) - D minor (Dm) - E minor (Em) - A minor (Am)

Experiment Before You Compose

To really own these concepts, you have to play with them:

• Play different chord progressions in major and in minor.
• Listen closely to how each chord and each progression affects your own emotions.
• Write short pieces using these progressions to express one specific emotion.

What to Remember

Mastering major and minor chords is the foundation of expressing emotion in music. Major chords tend to evoke positive, joyful feelings, while minor chords are usually tied to negative, sad ones. Experiment with these chords and progressions and you'll be able to write music that communicates those emotions reliably.