minor key

American  

noun

Music.

1. a key or mode based on a minor scale.

2. a less jubilant or more restrained mood, atmosphere, or quality.

   The conversation shifted to a minor key with news of the defeat.

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minor key British  

noun

1. music a key based on notes taken from a corresponding minor scale

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Etymology

Origin of minor key

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

“It was just a magical time,” he adds before letting the music pour from his fingers for a moment: long, rippling melodic lines that keep veering between a major and a minor key.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 23, 2025

Its reflective, minor key melancholy was embraced by fans after the band went on hiatus in 2016.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2024

The mood is melancholic, redoubled by long, drawn-out notes from the strings and minor key piano arpeggios; passages of happiness feel fragile, fleeting, untrustworthy.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 4, 2023

The catalyst for cinema’s turn from a major to minor key isn’t hard to find.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2022

A minor key is called the relative minor of the major key that has the same key signature.

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