# Relative minor and relative major

*Module 6 · Lesson 2: Minor scales · BazzLow*

> Find the relative minor of any major key, and the reverse.

Before this lesson: [6.1 The natural minor scale](https://bazzlow.com/en/minor-scales/natural-minor-scale/) · [5.6 The circle of fifths](https://bazzlow.com/en/major-scale-and-keys/circle-of-fifths/)

Every major key has a minor key hiding inside it, made of exactly the same notes. Finding it is a matter of counting three semitones.

## Same notes, different home

Every major key has a **relative minor** that uses **exactly the same notes** and the **same key signature**, but starts on a different tonic. The relative minor’s tonic is the **6th degree** of the major scale; equivalently, it is a **minor 3rd (3 semitones) below** the major tonic.

- C major → Am;
- G major → Em;
- F major → Dm.

In reverse, the **relative major** is the ♭3 of the minor scale: Am → C major.

> **Diagram:** C major in one position: C D on the A string (frets 3, 5), E F G on the D string (frets 2, 3, 5), A B C on the G string (frets 2, 4, 5). The root C is the green dot.

> **Diagram:** The same dots as A minor: the root is now A (fret 2 on the G string), and C is the ♭3.

## On the bass

From a major root, play three frets **down** on the same string to find the relative minor root. Or take the same fret on the next string **down**, then go two frets **up**: C at fret 3 on the A string → A at fret 5 on the E string.

## All twelve pairs

*Each major key, its relative minor and their shared key signature.*

| Major | Relative minor | Signature |
| --- | --- | --- |
| C | Am | — |
| G | Em | 1 ♯ |
| D | Bm | 2 ♯ |
| A | F♯m | 3 ♯ |
| E | C♯m | 4 ♯ |
| B | G♯m | 5 ♯ |
| F♯ / G♭ | D♯m / E♭m | 6 ♯ / 6 ♭ |
| D♭ | B♭m | 5 ♭ |
| A♭ | Fm | 4 ♭ |
| E♭ | Cm | 3 ♭ |
| B♭ | Gm | 2 ♭ |
| F | Dm | 1 ♭ |

The signature alone does not tell major from minor. The music does: which note feels like home, and how the piece begins and ends. On the circle of fifths the relative minors form the inner ring (lesson 5.6).

> **Diagram:** The circle of fifths. Selecting a major key on the outer ring also highlights its relative minor on the inner ring.

## Try it

Play a C major scale, then an A minor scale using the same notes, starting and ending on A. Listen for which note feels like home each time.

## New terms

- relative minor
- relative major

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