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major key

American  

noun

Music.
  1. a key whose essential harmony is based on the major scale.


Etymology

Origin of major key

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The variations, all but three in the same major key, utilize roughly the same harmonic progression, so listeners are lulled by the shared cadence but also dazzled by the inventiveness that masks it.

From New York Times Feb. 8, 2024

And Dunn became the 14th Kraken player to score in this series, another major key in the Kraken’s dominance.

From Seattle Times Apr. 28, 2023

Happy points are awarded for a bouncy rhythm, major key harmony and catchy, singable melodies.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 11, 2022

Many, if not all of them, are in a bright major key, colorful, buoyant and playful.

From Washington Post Dec. 31, 2021

It is easy to predict where the relative minor of a major key can be found.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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