Who this is for
Players and songwriters who know major and minor keys and want to change a song's mood, or play a major song in a minor key, without starting from scratch. Already convert songs by ear? Test out on Day 5.
Best done after: Minor Keys & Scales, Chords in a Key. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
Major and minor are the two main moods of Western music. Moving a song between them changes how it feels, often completely: a bright anthem becomes a brooding one with the same tune and a few changed chords.
There are three ways to do it, each with a different strength: **relative minor** (no chord changes at all), **parallel minor** (swap each chord), and **borrowing** (one minor chord in a major song). This program teaches all three, then lets the chord transposer do the swapping. As always: these are suggestions. If you like the sound, it is right.
What you will be able to do
- What makes major and minor sound different
- Relative minor: same chords, new home
- Parallel minor: swapping each chord
- Borrowing one minor chord
- Converting a whole song with the chord transposer
The 5-day plan
- What makes it minor. Hear and name the one note that changes between major and minor.
- The relative minor. Turn a major progression into its relative minor without changing a chord.
- The parallel minor. Swap each chord of a major song for its partner in the parallel minor.
- Borrow one chord. Add a single minor chord to a major song for a moment of colour.
- Test day: change the mood. Show you can move between major and minor and name the chords.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to make a song minor?
Use the relative minor: keep every chord, but treat the vi chord as home. A song in C major with C, F, G and Am becomes a song in A minor: start and end on Am. No chord changes at all.
What is the parallel minor?
The minor key that starts on the same note: C minor for C major. Its chords differ from the major key, so each chord is swapped: I becomes i, IV becomes iv, vi becomes ♭VI. It is a bigger change, and a bigger mood shift.
Will the melody still work?
Often not exactly. In a parallel minor the 3rd, 6th and 7th of the scale are lowered, so melody notes on those degrees may need to drop a half step. Play it and adjust by ear.
Can I mix major and minor?
Yes, and it is very common: one minor chord (such as iv) in a major song gives a lovely moment of darkness. This is called borrowing.