REM's "Losing My Religion" shifted into a major scale

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It sounds completely different when the key is changed from A minor to A major!!

A Major

[video=vimeo;57685359]http://vimeo.com/57685359[/video]


A Minor

 
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minor keys have always had a "sadness" vibe in human culture. It's basically inherent in how we perceive music. This would happen with any song, you could make generally sad-ish songs sound much more up beat by playing them in a major key and vice versa.
 
The Kicker of Elves said:
minor keys have always had a "sadness" vibe in human culture. It's basically inherent in how we perceive music. This would happen with any song, you could make generally sad-ish songs sound much more up beat by playing them in a major key and vice versa.
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I just posted it to demonstrate how such a minor change (pun intended) to a scale can have such a profound effect. I have played guitar for a few years now but only latterly have I delved into music theory. It is extraordinarily fascinating area for study.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Interesting.
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I was taught elements of music at school many moons ago but it was presented in a way that was dull and boring. I have now come back to musical theory via the guitar and it is really quite magical how it all fits together. In the A major version they have used some clever software to change the notes using the original as the source.
 
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The Kicker of Elves said:
minor keys have always had a "sadness" vibe in human culture. It's basically inherent in how we perceive music. This would happen with any song, you could make generally sad-ish songs sound much more up beat by playing them in a major key and vice versa.
Click to expand...

Actually that is not strictly true about sad songs being in a minor key. Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits and Oye Como Va by Santana are written in minor keys for example, it can also be used to project anger as well. Several Xmas carols are in minor keys, it gets a lot more complex when you get around to the various modes like Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian. Many songwriters will use both major and minor keys within their songs, perhaps choosing a minor key for the verse, and a major key for the chorus, or vice versa.
 
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