Have you ever wondered what the difference between a Parallel minor and a relative minor is? Well, in this article, we’re going to dive deep into what relative minor and parallel minor mean and discuss each relationship in every key!
By the end of this article, you’ll be an expert on relative keys and parallel keys! And, if you are looking for one place to get better on your instrument, learn how to improvise, improve your ear, and expand your musical knowledge, then check out the Learn Jazz Standards Inner Circle.
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Table of Contents
The Big Difference Between Parallel Minor and Relative Minor
It’s pretty easy to understand the major difference between parallel minor and relative minor keys. The easiest way to demonstrate the difference is with an example. Let’s start with the key of C major.
C major has both a relative minor key and a parallel minor key:
- The parallel minor key is C minor. (Likewise, C minor’s parallel major key is C major).
- The relative minor key is A minor. (Likewise, A minor’s relative major key is C major).
Parallel minor keys start on the same root as the major key. However, instead of following a major scale formula, you’d follow a minor scale formula:
C major has no sharps or flats, but C minor’s key signature has three flats: Bb, Eb, and Ab.
- C major: C-D-D-F-G-A-B-C
- C minor: C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab–Bb-C
Relative minor keys do not share the same starting note. However, they share the same key signature (and consequently the same notes).
Both C major and A minor share the same notes and key signature—no sharps or flats.
- C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
- A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
Now that we understand the big difference between parallel minor and relative minor, let’s explore each musical relationship in greater detail.
Relative Keys
As we hinted at above, relative keys share the same key signature and the same notes. The circle of fifths organizes keys by their key signatures and often by their relative keys as well.
Because relative major and minor scales share the same key signature, they can be considered modes of one another.
- A minor is the sixth mode of C major
- C major is the third mode of A minor
For a deep dive into the major scale modes, check out our guide to the musical modes.
Major Key, Minor Key, and Major and Minor Scales
Let’s look at all the relative major and minor keys next to one another.
C major and A minor
- C Major: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
- A Minor: A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
G major and E minor
- G major: G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
- E Minor: E – F# – G – A – B – C – D – E
D major and B minor
- D Major: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
- B Minor: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A – B
A major and F# minor
- A Major: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
- F# Minor: F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E – F#
E Major and C# minor
- E Major: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#- E
- C# Minor: C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B – C#
B Major and G# Minor (Cb major and Ab minor)
- B Major: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
- G# Minor: G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E – F# – G#
F# Major and D# Minor (Gb major and Eb Minor)
- F# Major: F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
- D# Minor: D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D#
C# Major and A# Minor (Db major and Bb Minor)
- C# Major: C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A# – B# – C#
- A# Minor: A# – B# – C# – D# – E# – F# – G# – A#
Ab Major and F minor
- Ab Major: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
- F Minor: F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F
Eb major and C minor
- Eb Major: Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
- C Minor: C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C
Bb major and G minor
- Bb Major: Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
- G Minor: G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G
F major and D minor
- F Major: F – G – A – Bb – C – D – E – F
- D Minor: D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C – D
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Parallel Keys
Each major scale has a parallel minor scale (and vice versa!). Unlike relative major or minor scales, parallel major and minor scales do not share the same key signature. Instead, they share the same root note or same tonic note.
This parallel key relationship is often utilized by composers who want to change tonal qualities without necessarily changing the tonal center. Going from the key of C to C- changes the overall sound quite a bit.
However, the “home base” is still C.
Likewise, compositions that start in a minor key but end on a major chord (a compositional device called a Picardy third) draw upon the parallel major key to change the tonality from minor to major.
The natural minor scale is most often used when moving to a parallel key. For more on the natural minor scale, check out this guide to the Aeolian mode. If you are curious about the different types of minor scales, check out this article on the three minor scales and minor modes.
Parallel Major and Minor Keys
Let’s explore all the parallel keys.
C Major and C Minor
- C Major: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
- C Minor: C – D – Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C
G Major and G Minor
- G major: G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G
- G Minor: G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G
D Major and D Minor
- D Major: D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# – D
- D Minor: D – E – F – G – A – Bb – C – D
A Major and A Minor
- A Major: A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# – A
- A Minor: A – B – C – D – E – F – G – A
E Major and E Minor
- E Major: E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D#- E
- E Minor: E – F# – G – A – B – C – D – E
B Major and B Minor
- B Major: B – C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A# – B
- B Minor: B – C# – D – E – F# – G – A – B
F# Major and F# Minor
- F# Major: F# – G# – A# – B – C# – D# – E# – F#
- F# Minor: F# – G# – A – B – C# – D – E – F#
Db Major (C# Major) and C# Minor (Db Minor)
- Db Major: Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – C – Db
- C# Minor: C# – D# – E – F# – G# – A – B – C#
Ab Major and Ab Minor
- Ab Major: Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – G – Ab
- Ab Minor: Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb – Fb – Gb – Ab
Eb Major and Eb Minor
- Eb Major: Eb – F – G – Ab – Bb – C – D – Eb
- Eb Minor: Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb – Cb – Db – Eb
Bb Major and Bb Minor
- Bb Major: Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G – A – Bb
- Bb Minor: Bb – C – Db – Eb – F – Gb – Ab – Bb
F Major and F Minor
- F Major: F – G – A – B – C – D – E – F
- F Minor: F – G – Ab – Bb – C – Db – Eb – F
Parallel Chords Are Not Quite Parallel Minor and Major Keys…
Parallel harmony is another music theory topic you should familiarize yourself with, especially if you are interested in jazz harmony! Where parallel major and minor scales refer to scales starting on the same root note, parallel chords are different.
Parallel chords maintain their quality despite moving to different root notes. Here is an example of a chord progression using parallel chords:
To learn more about borrowed harmony and modal interchange, check out this article on modal interchange.
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