major
A scale, key, or chord with a bright, stable, and generally positive quality.
In Depth
The major mode is defined by a specific pattern of whole tones and semitones: W-W-H-W-W-W-H (where W is a whole tone and H is a half tone). The major third between the first and third degrees gives major its characteristic brightness and stability.
Major keys are often associated with happiness, triumph, and resolution, though this is an oversimplification. Some of the most devastating music ever written is in major keys — the slow movement of Mahler's Fifth Symphony and the final movement of Tchaikovsky's Pathétique are both in major but express profound sadness. The relationship between key and emotion is far more nuanced than the simple major=happy, minor=sad formula suggests.
Studies show that people associate minor keys with sadness across cultures, but the relationship is not absolute — Schubert's String Quintet in C major contains some of the most heartbreaking music ever written, entirely in a major key.