What is the difference between major and minor chords?
The difference between a major and minor chord is one note: the third. Lower that note by one fret and a major chord becomes minor. Every other note stays the same.
In a G chord the three notes are G, B, and D. In a Gm (read as 'g minor') chord they're G, Bb, and D. The only change is B becoming Bb, which is one fret lower. That one half step is what makes the whole chord sound darker.
You hear this most clearly in worship music by comparing E and Em. There's only one note difference in the chord diagrams on the G string: the 1st fret in E major and played as an open G string for an Em chord. One note changes the entire feel of the chord.
Anchor fingers: finger 2 on A string (fret 2), finger 3 on D string (fret 2)
Major chords tend to feel bright or resolved. Minor chords tend to feel darker or more tense. Neither is better. They show up throughout worship music for exactly that contrast.
Related glossary terms
- What notes make up a chord? - how a chord's three notes are determined
- Minor vs. diminished chords - what happens when you lower the fifth as well as the third