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Emotions in Music: Major and Minor, a List of Mode Effects
Whatever the reason for the sharp emotional distinction between major and minor, it’s a fact of human nature, not a cultural construction. Table 28 spells it out in more detail.
TABLE 28 Emotional Effects of Modes
Mode Type or Characteristic |
Associated Emotions |
|---|---|
| Major mode (major key) | Happiness, grace, serenity, solemnity |
| Minor mode (minor key) | Sadness, anger, dreaminess, tenseness, suffering |
| Major and minor modes alternating | Tenderness |
| Mode unclear due to tense, dissonant harmonies | Fear |