What is “major/minor key tonality”?
Major key tonality means that the song’s harmony is based on a major scale. The song’s harmony will resolve and come to rest on a major chord, which is usually perceived as a brighter, happier sound than a minor chord, which generally is perceived to have a more somber, melancholy sound. Technically speaking, the difference between a major chord and a minor chord is that the 3rd degree of a major chord is one half-step higher than the 3rd degree of a minor chord. A song with major key tonality may contain some minor chords in the progression, but it will always come to rest and feel ‘at home’ on a major chord. An example of a song with major key tonality is “Good Day Sunshine” by the Beatles. An example of minor key tonality is “House Of The Rising Sun” by the Animals.
