What’s the difference between a major chord and a minor chord?
The distance between the first and third notes.
Remember that a chord is made up of the first, third and fifth notes of the scale? Eg. C is CEG, the first third and fifth notes of the C scale.
Well the distance, or interval, between C and E is a major third. What does that mean? It means that if you start on C then go four semitones up you find an E. Combine that with the G and you get C major.
What about C minor?
Easy. Make the gap between C and E smaller by changing the E to E flat. E flat is three semitones above C, rather than four. Everything else stays the same.
But why is it E flat, not D sharp?
Because Chords are made up of the first third and fifth notes. The first third and fifth notes of C minor are C, E flat, G. A D, whether it is sharp, natural or flat, would be the second note of a C scale.
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