Parallel Major and Minor Keys

Parallel major and minor keys are major and minor scales that share the same starting pitch, for example the keys of C-Major and C-minor.

Parallel Major and minor keys: C-Major and C-minor

The following shows some more examples of parallel major and minor keys.

Parallel Major and minor keys: E-flat-Major and E-flat-minor

Parallel Major and minor keys: D-Major and D-minor

Relative Major and Minor Keys

Major or minor keys that share the same key signature are called relative keys. For example, in the key of G-Major, which has one sharp, the notes are G, A, B, C, D, E, and F#.

G-Major scale

 

If we instead start on the sixth scale degree of the major scale in the key of G-Major, we then get the relative minor key, E-minor, with the notes E, F#, G, A, B, C, and D.

E-minor scale

G-Major and E-minor share the same set of notes and and the same key signature, and therefore are the relative major and minor keys of each other.

Relative major and minor keys: G-Major and E-minor

To find the relative minor key of a major key, start on the sixth scale degree of the major scale. To find the relative major key of a minor key, start on the third scale degree of the minor scale.

The following shows some more examples of relative major and minor keys.

Relative major and minor keys: E-flat Major and C-minor

Relative major and minor keys: D-Major and B-minor

All 12 Major Scales

(You may want to read the articles about Scales, the Major Scale, or Key Signatures first.)

There are 12 different Major Scales: One with no sharps or flats, 4 with sharps, 4 with flats, and 3 with either sharps or flats depending upon enharmonic spelling.

Major Scales with no sharps or flats: C Major

Major Scales with sharps: D, E, G, A

Major Scales with flats: E-flat, F, A-flat, B-flat

Enharmonic Major Scales: C-sharp/D-flat, F-sharp/G-flat, B-natural/C-flat

Learn about other Scales.

Key and Key Signatures

Key Signatures tell us what notes are sharp or flat in a scale. When we say we are in the Key of F Major we are saying that we are using the notes of the F Major scale. The Key Signature for the Key of F Major would be one flat, because there is one flat in the F Major scale.

Any single Key Signature symbol will identify both a Major and (Natural) Minor scale, for example C Major and A (natural) Minor have the same Key Signature symbol.

Examples of Key Signatures: