The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #142533 Message #3286410
Posted By: Marje
07-Jan-12 - 03:41 AM
Thread Name: Why use the term 'major'?
Subject: RE: Why use the term 'major'?
The default assumption is usually that we're talking about the major key. If someone wants to make it clear that they don't mean minor (and they don't mean a fancy chord, and they don't mean one of the less familiar modes) they'll say D maj just to be clear.
That applies to keys and generally to chords, although on some instruments it's possible to play an open fifth (leaving out the third of the scale) so it will work as either major or minor. So if you're playing a chord that just has D/A instead of a triad, you might just say it was D, leaving other players, or the harmonic context, to decide whether it's major or minor.
Marje