Major vs Minor
Technically, the difference between major and minor, is the importance that they imply. While we use the terms to indicate many different things, anything major is considered to be larger, or more important, in one way, than something that is minor. This can refer to something as simple as the order of discovery, or it can refer to something that is more worthy of attention.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor (the big and little dippers) are defined not just for their size, but for the way in which they were found. Ursa Major was discovered first. Ursa Minor was discovered as an offshoot for its similarities.
When referring to music, the major and minor chords are divided not only by sound, but also by something known as the third. The third defines the position of the scale, or chord, based on its location. When comparing the two sounds, the major chords are usually heard as bright, or often cheerful. The minor chords are heard as a darker, more somber sound.
If you enter a school, and you take a major and a minor, the greatest difference is again in regards to importance. Your major is the most vital of your studies. It indicates the amount of time, energy, and importance that you and the school are placing on the subject. The minor is of greater importance than things like elective and supporting subjects, but it has a slightly lesser degree of significance educationally.
This can be most clearly illustrated in our everyday language. We say that we have a major problem when we are certain that, in one way or another, the problem is going to be large enough to impact our lives in a significant way. We have a minor problem if the issue is not going to change much, and we even feel like we can possibly ignore it.
Diseases can be separated by the significance of perceived danger. For example, Thalassemia major requires treatment. It is a blood disorder which can lead to the improper oxygenation or transfer of iron throughout the body. The same disease that is labeled minor is consistent with no treatment plans, because it usually doesn’t represent a threat to the body’s functioning.
Summary:
· Major and minor can define importance.
· Major and minor can define the order of something.
· Major and minor can be used to separate sounds in musical scales and chords.
· Major and minor define the degree of threat from disease.