What is the main difference between a major scale and a minor scale?

The distinction between a major scale and a minor scale is fundamentally tied to their emotional character and sound. A major scale is typically perceived as having a bright, uplifting, and joyful quality, which is often associated with happy or festive emotions. In contrast, a minor scale conveys a darker, sadder, or more melancholic atmosphere, which allows it to express feelings of introspection, longing, or sadness.

The structure of these scales also contributes to their differing sounds. A major scale is constructed with a specific pattern of whole and half steps that creates its characteristic sound, while a minor scale has a different pattern, leading to a different emotional impact. The perception of sound and emotion in music is deeply ingrained in cultural contexts, enhancing the understanding of why major scales evoke a sense of happiness and minor scales evoke sadness.

While the other options touch on aspects of scales, they do not accurately represent the core difference in their emotional expression. The length of the scales is generally the same, as they both contain seven notes in their respective forms. The number of sharps in a minor scale can vary depending on the key, and it does not inherently have more sharps than a major scale. Lastly, saying that a major scale mirrors a minor scale in structure