Musician's Phrasebook
Relative Minor
The minor key that shares the same notes and key signature as a major key (A minor is the relative minor of C major).
Why it matters
Knowing this lets you borrow chords and scales between a major and minor key instantly.
Used in a sentence
“Just play the relative minor scale over that part.”
Digging deeper
Take any major scale and start counting from its 6th note instead of its 1st — same notes, same key signature, but now it's a minor scale. C major and A minor share the exact same notes; only the “home” note changed.
Common questions
How do I quickly find a key's relative minor?
Count up to the 6th note of the major scale — C major's 6th note is A, so A minor is its relative minor.
If they share the same notes, how do they sound different?
The notes are identical, but which note feels like “home” changes everything — resolving to C sounds bright and major, resolving to A with the same notes sounds darker and minor.
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