One note
away.
A chord has three notes. Move one.
Listen to how much that changes.
A small change. A different chord.
01 / WHERE WE STARTED
C major
C3 · E3 · G3
The reference. Always a major chord.02 / ONE NOTE LATER
C minor
C3 · E♭3 · G3
E3 → E♭3 · down 1 semitoneCurrent note Original note Each position is one semitone apart.
Sound starts when you press play. Try a comfortable volume.
WHAT CHANGED
Major to minor. One half step.
The middle note fell from E to E♭. The root and fifth stayed put. That smaller interval above the root makes this a minor chord.
Same frame. Different light. This is the bit I wanted you to hear.
A little theory, now that you’ve heard it
A semitone (or half step) is the distance between neighboring piano keys, including the black keys. A major chord stacks a root, a major third (four semitones above it), and a perfect fifth (seven).
Here the root and fifth are fixed. Move the third down a semitone for minor. Replace it with a second or fourth for a suspended chord. The last position puts an augmented fourth beside the fifth: a deliberate bit of friction, rather than a standard major or minor triad.
Octave numbers identify register: C3 is below C4. These are synthesized tones in equal temperament. The words “bright,” “dark,” or “tense” are impressions, not rules for what you have to feel.