How would you explain what is going on musically and emotively when a minor key song finishes on a major chord - like on Regina’s Laughing With (if I have figured out this basic theory right…I think it is in Am and finishes on a G major - not even its r

Good question!! That song is in Fm. It begins on a Bbm chord and ends on the relative major of the key, Ab.

First off, I’d like to restate / maintain my opinion that there are no such thing as major and minor keys. There is no difference between the key of F minor or Ab major. It’s like saying there’s a difference between twelve and a dozen. The have the exact same notes in their scales.

I don’t think it’s particularly important that the song beings on a Bbm, it’s just the first chord in the loop that is the verse progression. At the most basic level, if the song ended with an Fm chord, it would end sounding “sad”. However, the song ends in Ab, making the end sound “happy.” If the song ended on an Eb chord (the V) it would sound “unresolved.”

These are all relative feelings. Every song means something different to every person who loves it, and in specific instances I’m sure you could think of WAY more descriptive words than happy, sad or unresolved.

So to answer your question, TOTALLY generally speaking, starting minor and ending major makes a song start sad and end happy.

Ask me anything

Posted on Jan 13, 2011 at 11:18am with 4 notes | #formspring.me

  1. danromer posted this