BBC - Radio 2 - Sold on Song - Glossary

Major
A type of key, chord or scale. Major keys or scales are generally thought of as happier than minor keys, although the mood of a song also depends on many other elements, such as lyrics, rhythm and singing style. Examples of songs in a major key include"Going Loco Down in Acapulco", "Candle in the Wind", and "Take A Walk On The Wild Side".

Melody
An arrangement of single notes in a musically expressive succession. Melody is the generic term that incorporates the "tune" of a piece of music. In the Beatles tune "Hey Jude", McCartney is singing the melody – the rest of the band are the accompaniment, incorporating rhythm and harmony.

Minor
A type of key, chord or scale. Minor keys or scales are generally thought of as sadder than major keys, although the mood of a song also depends on many other elements, such as lyrics, rhythm and singing style. Examples of songs in a minor key include "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson and "Money, Money, Money" by Abba.

Mix
The process of taking several tracks of a multitrack recording and feedingthem through a bank of volume controls in order to get the right balance or mix, resulting in a balanced and effective final product.

Modes
A series of scales derived from Medieval church music. To simplify a complex topic, you could say each mode takes a starting note from a white key on the piano and continues up through the next seven white notes. Therefore there are seven different starting points and so we have seven modes. Folk music often has a modal quality about it ( e.g. Steeleye Span’s "Guadete" is in Aeolian Mode) but modes are also employed in jazz (Miles Davis’ "So What" is in Dorian Mode).

Mouth Organ
Also referred to as the harmonica or blues harp, the mouth organ is generally rectangular in shape, with the body of the instrument containing metal reeds which run the width of the instrument. Each reed-pair is separated into individual air passages to keep them distinct from one another. A series of equally spaced, small holes run along the length, or side, of the instrument. The player can exhale or inhale through these chambers eliciting two notes. The reeds are situated so that one responds to inhalation and the other to exhalation, or, more simply, responds to sucking and blowing. This gives the player the ability to play both melodies and harmonies. Larry Adler was considered the best harmonica player ever.


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