minor mode: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

In common modern usage, especially in tonal music, they are often used interchangeably. Strictly, a 'mode' is a type of scale, and a 'key' is a system of harmony centered around a tonic note using that scale.

Only in a very literary or poetic sense (e.g., 'her letters were in a minor mode'). In everyday conversation, it would sound odd and pretentious; use 'in a bad mood' or 'feeling down' instead.

In Western music theory, the three primary forms are the natural minor, the harmonic minor (with a raised seventh degree), and the melodic minor (which differs ascending and descending).

This is a complex mix of cultural conditioning and acoustic properties. The intervals in the minor scale, particularly the minor third above the tonic, are acoustically less stable and resonant than those in the major scale, which Western culture has learned to associate with darker emotions.

A musical scale or key that is based on a specific sequence of intervals, typically perceived as sad, melancholic, or serious in character. It is contrasted with the major mode.

Minor mode is usually formal, technical (music); informal (metaphorical) in register.

Minor mode: in British English it is pronounced /ˈmaɪ.nə məʊd/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈmaɪ.nɚ moʊd/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.