Major is the “yes!” of music. Its sound is associated with victory, celebration, and an open smile. Historically, major is linked to the Ionian mode, described by Glarean in 1547, and firmly established itself in the Baroque era.
Most anthems, marches, and wedding pieces are in major. Favorite major keys: C major (clear, transparent), D major (brilliant), G major (pastoral), E-flat major (heroic, as in Beethoven's Third Symphony).
The major mode is defined by the major third between the 1st and 3rd degrees — it is this interval that the ear hears as “bright.” The sequence of tones and semitones in the natural major is fixed (T-T-s-T-T-T-s), so a major scale can be built from any pitch. Although major is traditionally linked with joy, great composers could also lend it a shade of luminous sadness or grandeur — everything depends on context and harmony.
