Relative Keys
A major and minor key with the same signature
Related
Relative keys are a major and a minor key with the same signature but different tonics, such as C major and A minor. The relative minor sits a minor third below the major tonic, and the two share nearly all their notes, so a modulation between them barely touches the signature.
They share the natural scale, but the minor often raises its seventh and sometimes its sixth to form harmonic or melodic minor; those altered notes mark the change of character. With so many common chords, the modulation can be very smooth.
Relative keys differ from parallel keys: the former share a signature, the latter a tonic. To identify relative keys, compare signature and tonic; to identify parallel keys, compare tonic and mode.
Sources
- 关系调的定义与转调，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Key"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.