Closely related keys are the keys that share most of their notes with a given key: for C major they are G major, F major, A minor, E minor and D minor. They sit next to the key on the circle of fifths, and music moves between them smoothly because only one or two notes change.
What are closely related keys?
Closely related keys are the keys that share most of their notes with a given key, and they are the keys that music moves between most easily. For C major, the closely related keys are G major, F major, A minor, E minor and D minor. They sit next to C major on the circle of fifths, or they are the relative minor of C major or of its neighbours, and they share six of their seven notes with C major, which is why modulation to them sounds smooth. The five closely related keys are found in three places: the keys one step away in either direction on the circle of fifths, the relative minor of the key itself, and the relative minors of the two neighbouring keys. For C major, the neighbours are G major and F major, the relative minor is A minor, and the relative minors of the neighbours are E minor, the relative minor of G major, and D minor, the relative minor of F major. That gives five keys, and they are the keys that a piece in C major is most likely to visit, because the moves to them are the smoothest. The circle of fifths shows the five keys around any key.
How closely related keys work
The reason closely related keys sound smooth is the number of shared notes. C major and G major share six notes, C, D, E, G, A and B, and only one note changes, F to F#. C major and F major share six notes too, and only one note changes, B to Bb. C major and A minor share all seven notes, because they are relative keys. C major and E minor share six notes, and C major and D minor share six notes. With so many notes in common, the chords of the two keys overlap, and a pivot chord that belongs to both keys is easy to find, which is what makes the modulation smooth. Distant keys, by contrast, share few notes, and modulation to them sounds dramatic. C major and D major share five notes, and C major and Eb major share four notes, so the moves to them are more noticeable. C major and F# major share only two notes, so the move to F# major sounds like a leap into a different world, which is sometimes exactly what a composer wants, but it needs preparation. The key of G major and the key of F major are the closely related majors of C major, and the key of A minor is its closely related minor.
Worked example — the closely related keys of G major. G major's neighbours on the circle of fifths are C major and D major, one step away in either direction. Its relative minor is E minor. The relative minors of its neighbours are A minor, the relative minor of C major, and B minor, the relative minor of D major. That gives five closely related keys: C major, D major, E minor, A minor and B minor. Check the shared notes: G major and D major share six notes, G, A, B, D, E and F#, and only C changes, from C natural in G major to C# in D major. The key of D major and the key of E minor are two of the five.
How to practise closely related keys
Practise by finding the closely related keys of a key you know, and then by modulating to each one, so the circle of fifths becomes a practical tool.
- Find the closely related keys of the key of C major using the circle of fifths, and write them down before you check your answer.
- Find the closely related keys of the key of G major and the key of D major, and compare the three lists.
- Modulate from C major to each of its closely related keys in turn, using a pivot chord, and listen for the smoothness of each move.
- Play the chords of the key of A minor and the key of E minor, and count how many chords they share.
- Use the circle of fifths tool to find the closely related keys of any key, and repeat the exercise until you can do it without the tool.
Common mistakes
- Thinking only the neighbours are closely related — The closely related keys include the relative minor and the relative minors of the neighbours, not just the keys one step away. For C major that gives five keys, not two, and forgetting the minors misses most of them.
- Modulating to a distant key by mistake — If you modulate to a key that is not closely related, the change will sound dramatic, which is fine if that is what you want, but it will sound like a mistake if you meant it to be smooth. Check the circle before you modulate.
- Forgetting that minor keys have closely related keys too — A minor key has five closely related keys as well: its relative major, its neighbours, and their relatives. A minor's closely related keys are C major, G major, E minor, D minor and B minor.
Quick reference
This table lists the closely related keys of four common keys, so you can see the pattern working in different places on the circle of fifths. In every row the five keys are the neighbours, the relative minor, and the relative minors of the neighbours, and the pattern is the same whatever key you start from.
| Key | Closely related keys |
|---|---|
| C major | G major, F major, A minor, E minor, D minor |
| G major | C major, D major, E minor, A minor, B minor |
| D major | G major, A major, B minor, E minor, F# minor |
| F major | C major, Bb major, D minor, A minor, G minor |
| A minor | C major, G major, E minor, D minor, B minor |
Use the table as a modulation guide: when you want to change key smoothly, choose one of the five keys in the second column, and use a pivot chord that belongs to both keys to make the move. When you want drama, choose a key that is not in the table, and prepare the listener with a secondary dominant.
Frequently asked questions
What are closely related keys?
Closely related keys are the keys that share most of their notes with a given key: for C major they are G major, F major, A minor, E minor and D minor. They sit next to the key on the circle of fifths, and music moves between them smoothly.
How many closely related keys does a key have?
Five: the keys one step away in either direction on the circle of fifths, the relative minor of the key itself, and the relative minors of the two neighbouring keys. For C major that gives G major, F major, A minor, E minor and D minor.
Why do closely related keys sound smooth?
Because they share six of their seven notes, so only one note changes when you move between them, and the chords of the two keys overlap. A pivot chord that belongs to both keys is easy to find, which is what makes the modulation smooth.
What are distant keys?
Keys that sit far away on the circle of fifths and share few notes with the home key. C major and F# major share only two notes, so the move between them sounds dramatic, and it needs preparation with a pivot chord or a secondary dominant.
Can a minor key have closely related keys?
Yes. A minor key has five closely related keys as well: its relative major, its neighbours, and their relatives. A minor's closely related keys are C major, G major, E minor, D minor and B minor.