Major/minor keys and harmonic experimentation

[AsPeeXXXVIII]

Throughout my 6-ish years of making music as a hobby - specifically from a songwriting standpoint - I've come to notice that I've written most of my songs in minor keys. I gave this some deeper thought yesterday, and my contemplations ended up in the sentiment that minor keys provide more "harmonic freedom" as opposed to major keys.

In my experience, major keys are rather restrictive when it comes to what you can do with them in terms of harmony. Certain chords, when put after other chords, simply don't sound good in a major key. With minor keys, while the same problem can present itself, I feel that the harmonic possibilities are more plentiful.

Allow me to provide an example. Below is a chord progression taken from a song I'm (sort of) writing in two different keys: A is the original chord progression in C# minor, and B is the same chord progression in C# major with only the first chord changed.

A: C#m | F#m/A | B7sus4 | G/D | D | F#m/C# | B7sus4 | Em/B
B: C# | F#m/A | B7sus4 | G/D | D | F#m/C# | B7sus4 | Em/B

Now, if you try playing the two chord progressions above, you may find that B sounds rather nonsensical as opposed to A. Part of the reason, of course, would be that I only changed one chord in the entire chord progression. I do acknowledge that this can be used as a point of argument against me for providing a "bad" example. At the end of the day, though, that's all it is - an example.

Either way, I'm curious as to whether anyone has any further thoughts on this. Do you find major keys as restrictive harmonically as I do? Or do you find them as "free" as minor keys?

[DocAtlas]

Throughout my 6-ish years of making music as a hobby - specifically from a songwriting standpoint - I've come to notice that I've written most of my songs in minor keys. I gave this some deeper thought yesterday, and my contemplations ended up in the sentiment that minor keys provide more "harmonic freedom" as opposed to major keys.

In my experience, major keys are rather restrictive when it comes to what you can do with them in terms of harmony. Certain chords, when put after other chords, simply don't sound good in a major key. With minor keys, while the same problem can present itself, I feel that the harmonic possibilities are more plentiful.

Allow me to provide an example. Below is a chord progression taken from a song I'm (sort of) writing in two different keys: A is the original chord progression in C# minor, and B is the same chord progression in C# major with only the first chord changed.

A: C#m | F#m/A | B7sus4 | G/D | D | F#m/C# | B7sus4 | Em/B
B: C# | F#m/A | B7sus4 | G/D | D | F#m/C# | B7sus4 | Em/B

Now, if you try playing the two chord progressions above, you may find that B sounds rather nonsensical as opposed to A. Part of the reason, of course, would be that I only changed one chord in the entire chord progression. I do acknowledge that this can be used as a point of argument against me for providing a "bad" example. At the end of the day, though, that's all it is - an example.

Either way, I'm curious as to whether anyone has any further thoughts on this. Do you find major keys as restrictive harmonically as I do? Or do you find them as "free" as minor keys?

I don't know if major keys are more restrictive than minor ones, but I've always preferred minor keys. A lot could depend on whether or not you are only using chords that are diatonic to the key, or you are using using chords borrowed from other keys, and how much borrowing you are doing.

I find that I don't usually worry about being strict about using only diatonic chords (except for modal pieces), except that I really don't like Picardy thirds. If I'm writing a minor key piece, I'm going to end on a minor chord.

[Winstontaneous]

Either way, I'm curious as to whether anyone has any further thoughts on this. Do you find major keys as restrictive harmonically as I do? Or do you find them as "free" as minor keys?

I often find minor keys to be manipulative as in "ooh, I'm going to make the listener have deep dark emotions right now". My background is in jazz, so I often throw in out-of key notes if they work with the melody. I've been working with a singer whose beautiful melodies can work over a wide variety of chords/progressions, so I'm not always thinking in terms of keys per se.

[jancivil]

Do you find major keys as restrictive harmonically as I do?

No. It's an unnecessary dichotomy. You are free to manipulate anything you like.

"you may find that [the mere presence of a major third in the first chord instead of minor] sounds rather nonsensical" - I don't know what argument you're making there. This isn't voiced, I don't know what it sounds like to you, it's just a chart of chord names. I can't know from that why you're less free to suddenly do bV, owing strictly to the E# in the C# harmony. I would actually be as bold as to recommend you examine your premise more.

IE: rather, you're not writing in different keys per se: it's C#. "Part of the reason, of course, would be..." that looks like a circular argument: the reason for this is the reason because it's the reason.

But I'll look at this through a different lens than my fundamental viewpoint:

i | iv6 | bVIIs4 | bV6/4 | bII | iv6/4 | bVIIs4 | iii6/4

Are you finding, for instance this bVII belongs less with major than minor?
But it goes abruptly to bV which doesn't belong to either and is quite distant. And the last chord in the sequence, same issue.

So you're not so much doing C# minor as per Common Practice Paradigm; you apparently feel quite free. It's none of my business if you find the sequence more disjoint or whatever owing to the major I, but as a premise, in and of itself I don't see it. In other words, don't let that trip you up, feel free per se.

[ChamMusic]

In my experience, major keys are rather restrictive when it comes to what you can do with them in terms of harmony.

This probably says more about your own state of experience as a composer than anything else! :0)

I've come to notice that I've written most of my songs in minor keys.

As you say, you've mainly composed in minor keys so far, so you almost certainly know them more thoroughly and are more comfortable with them!

minor keys provide more "harmonic freedom" as opposed to major keys.

From a theoretical point of view that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. In fact there might be a possible music theory argument that the opposite is true to some extent, (although I would argue against it myself, I think).

Just go out and decide to compose a few pieces in Major keys...you'll understand them better and see many more possibilities!

Interesting article I've used from time to time with composition students who've said similar things to you:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7inddosxu5k1o ... r.pdf?dl=0

It's a tad dry at times, but opened up their eyes with regard to the use of Major and Minor over the centuries!