In music, there is a connection between major keys (which tend to sound brighter and more cheerful) and minor keys (which tend to sound more melancholy.) This connection is described as ‘relative’; thus, A minor is the relative minor of C major and E minor the relative minor of G major, for example.
A minor key differs from a major key in certain notes only. The third note is lowered (flattened) by a semitone, with the sixth and seventh notes also altered slightly (depending on whether a harmonic or melodic minor version of the scale is played.) Examples of minor keys in pop songs include The Moody Blues’ ‘Nights in White Satin’ or Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’; church songs include ‘Father God, I Wonder’ and ‘Take Me Past The Outer Courts.’
Life can often seem sad and melancholy, and the psalms of lament reflect the tragedy, helplessness and sorrow we feel at times. I’m sure minor keys are used to reflect those sentiments. Only when we fully reach perfection in glory will the minor key be forgotten (‘Endless Hallelujah’, Matt Redman). In this life, it is a valuable tool for expressing ambiguity, sadness, complexity and indecision.
It’s worth noting, however, that the connections to major keys is never far away. Often, it is just a semitone, a half-step, which can change the whole ‘feel’ of a piece of music. So too in life, weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps 126:5-6). God is able to turn our wailing into dancing, to remove the sackcloth and clothe us with joy (Ps 30:11), to bring us back from the depths of despair and restore to us the joy of our salvation. (Ps 51:12)
I love the way composers can alternate major and minor keys within classical music to paint a richly textured musical piece. In the same way, life contains both highs and lows, joys and sorrows. It can be difficult to walk through the valley, which feel cold, dark places, but God’s promise is that He walks beside us as a man of suffering who is familiar with pain (Is 53:5), a great high priest who is not unable to feel sympathy for our weaknesses. (Heb 4:15) We may not understand or even like the minor key, but God promises a triumphant ending, a resolution of troubles and the permanence of His presence. In a symphony, the final movement is usually in a major key. Now, we wait for that final movement of God’s triumph and victory.