# Parallel major and minor

*Module 6 · Lesson 3: Minor scales · BazzLow*

> Compare major and minor on the same tonic and know their key signatures.

Before this lesson: [6.2 Relative minor and relative major](https://bazzlow.com/en/minor-scales/relative-minor-and-major/)

Relative keys share their notes. Parallel keys share their home. Both relationships change the colour of music, in different ways.

## Same tonic, different notes

**Parallel** keys share the **same tonic** but use different scales: C major and C minor. The parallel minor of a major key is its **parallel minor**; the parallel major of a minor key is its **parallel major**. They differ in three notes (3, 6 and 7).

> **Diagram:** C major from the root at fret 3 on the A string. The notes that change in minor are in color: E (3), A (6), B (7); the others are grey.

> **Diagram:** C minor from the same root. The three changed notes are in color: E♭ (♭3, fret 6 on the A string), A♭ (♭6, fret 6 on the D string), B♭ (♭7, fret 3 on the G string).

## Key signatures

Because three notes change, the signatures differ by **three accidentals**: the parallel minor has 3 more flats, or 3 fewer sharps.

- C major (none) → C minor (3 ♭);
- A major (3 ♯) → A minor (none);
- D major (2 ♯) → D minor (1 ♭).

The parallel minor’s signature is the one of its relative major: C minor uses the signature of E♭ major.

> **Relative** means “same notes, different tonic”. **Parallel** means “same tonic, different notes”.

Both relationships are used to change colour within a song. Borrowing chords from the parallel key is covered in Module 14.

## Try it

Play C major and then C minor from the same root, one after the other, and listen to the change of mood. Then do the same from G.

## New terms

- parallel key
- parallel minor
- parallel major

Page: https://bazzlow.com/en/minor-scales/parallel-major-and-minor/