Relative major and minor keys share the same key signature and the same seven notes: the relative minor starts on the 6th degree of the major scale. C major and A minor are relatives, G major and E minor are relatives, and the relative minor is always a minor 3rd below the major root.
What are relative major and minor keys?
Relative major and minor keys are pairs of keys that share the same key signature and the same seven notes, with one starting on the 1st degree and the other starting on the 6th degree. C major and A minor are relatives: C major is C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and A minor is A, B, C, D, E, F, G, which is the same seven notes starting from a different place. The relative minor is always a minor 3rd, three semitones, below the major root, so the relative minor of G major is E minor, the relative minor of D major is B minor, and the relative minor of F major is D minor. Relative keys matter because they are the same notes heard from two different homes, and that changes how the music feels. C major sounds bright and settled, because its home is C, while A minor sounds dark and sad, because its home is A, even though the notes are identical. The key signature is the same for both keys, which is why C major and A minor both have no sharps and no flats, and why a piece of music can move between the relative major and minor without changing the key signature. The key of C major and the key of A minor show the pair, and the relative major minor finder finds the relative of any key.
How relative keys work
To find the relative minor of a major key, go down a minor 3rd, three semitones, from the major root, or go up to the 6th degree of the major scale. The 6th degree of C major is A, so the relative minor of C major is A minor. The 6th degree of G major is E, so the relative minor of G major is E minor. To find the relative major of a minor key, go up a minor 3rd, three semitones, from the minor root, or go up to the 3rd degree of the minor scale. The 3rd degree of A minor is C, so the relative major of A minor is C major. The relative keys share a key signature and share their chords, but in a different order. C major has C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim, in the order I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii, while A minor has Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F and G, in the order i, ii, iii, iv, v, VI, VII. The chords are identical, but their functions are different: C is the tonic in C major and the III chord in A minor, while Am is the vi chord in C major and the tonic in A minor. The key of G major and the key of E minor show another relative pair, and the circle of fifths shows all the relative pairs at once.
Worked example — the relatives of E major. The E major scale is E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#, with four sharps. The 6th degree is C#, so the relative minor is C# minor, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, which is the same seven notes starting on C#. Check the key signature: C# minor also has four sharps, F#, C#, G# and D#, which confirms the pair. Now find the parallel minor: E minor is E, F#, G, A, B, C, D, which has different notes from E major, so it is parallel, not relative. The E major scale and the C# minor scale show the relative pair, and the key of E major lists the chords they share.
How to practise relative keys
Practise relative keys as pairs, major then minor, so your ear learns to hear the same notes from two different homes.
- Play the chords of the key of C major in order, then the chords of the key of A minor, and listen for the same seven chords in a different order.
- Find the relative minor of G, D, A and E major, and check that each pair shares the same key signature.
- Play a major scale and then its relative minor scale, back to back, and listen for the same seven notes sounding bright and then dark.
- On piano, play a major key with your right hand and its relative minor with your left hand, and listen for the same notes in two places.
- Use the relative major minor finder to find the relative of any key, and check your answer by counting down a minor 3rd.
Common mistakes
- Confusing relative and parallel keys — Relative keys share the same notes and start on different roots, while parallel keys share the same root and have different notes. C major and A minor are relative; C major and C minor are parallel, and confusing the two leads to wrong chord choices.
- Thinking relative keys sound the same — Relative keys share the same notes, but they sound different, because the home note is different. C major sounds bright and A minor sounds dark, even though the notes are identical, so listen for the home, not just the notes.
- Forgetting the key signature — Relative keys share a key signature, so if your relative minor has a different number of sharps or flats from its major, one of them is wrong. Check the key signature before you trust the pair.
Quick reference
This table lists six pairs of relative major and minor keys, with their shared notes and their key signatures, so you can see the relationship working across the sharp keys and the flat keys. In every row the two keys contain identical notes, the relative minor sits a minor 3rd below the major root, and the key signature is the same for both.
| Major key | Relative minor | Shared notes | Key signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | C – D – E – F – G – A – B | No sharps or flats |
| G major | E minor | G – A – B – C – D – E – F# | 1 sharp: F# |
| D major | B minor | D – E – F# – G – A – B – C# | 2 sharps: F#, C# |
| A major | F# minor | A – B – C# – D – E – F# – G# | 3 sharps: F#, C#, G# |
| F major | D minor | F – G – A – A# – C – D – E | 1 flat: Bb (A#) |
| E major | C# minor | E – F# – G# – A – B – C# – D# | 4 sharps: F#, C#, G#, D# |
Work through the table by playing each pair on your instrument, major first and then minor, and listening for the same seven notes sounding bright and then dark. When you can find the relative minor of any major key without looking, try the exercise in reverse: start from a minor key and find its relative major, a minor 3rd above the minor root.
Frequently asked questions
What are relative major and minor keys?
Relative major and minor keys are pairs of keys that share the same key signature and the same seven notes, with the minor starting on the 6th degree of the major. C major and A minor are relatives, G major and E minor are relatives, and the relative minor is always a minor 3rd below the major root.
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?
Go down a minor 3rd, three semitones, from the major root, or go up to the 6th degree of the major scale. The 6th degree of C major is A, so the relative minor of C major is A minor.
How do I find the relative major of a minor key?
Go up a minor 3rd, three semitones, from the minor root, or go up to the 3rd degree of the minor scale. The 3rd degree of A minor is C, so the relative major of A minor is C major.
Do relative keys share a key signature?
Yes. Relative major and minor keys share the same sharps and flats, because they contain the same seven notes. C major and A minor both have no sharps and no flats, and G major and E minor both have one sharp, F#.
What is the difference between relative and parallel keys?
Relative keys share the same notes and start on different roots, while parallel keys share the same root and have different notes. C major and A minor are relative; C major and C minor are parallel.