Whats the difference? I mean, other than the third note of the minor scales being different; whats the point? If you have a piece of sheet music how can you tell if it's major or minor if they have the same key signature?

Example: G Major has the same key signature as E Minor.

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I'm aware that songs played in Minor are darker and that songs played in Major or lighter but why is that?

What no one wants to answer?

pieces of music are built on different types of scales, kinda the same way that a building is built on a particular scale.

There are as many different types of scales as there are types of music the world over.

The more familiar you are with all your scales, major, minor(s), modal, oriental etc, the better you will be prepared as you undertake to learn those pieces.

Example: G Major has the same key signature as E Minor

yes, they may have the same key signature...but they have different natures...(root,2nd,3rd etc.)
"nature" gives the distinction between a minor and a major

patrick is right, the more familiar you are with many types of scales, the more easy it is to identify the difference.


---kishimotto

G Maj and E min are cousins, that is why composers use them to change mood in a piece

Penny, just remember that music is a language and theory is the grammar of this language, the more you understand the grammar, the more you understand how the piece was put together

learn to write music, that is the best way to learn to play music