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Relative major and minor keys

The pitches of the natural minor scale are the same as the major scale (e.g., the white keys of the piano). If you start a scale on the sixth degree of the major scale, the result is the natural minor.

Because the two scales contain exactly the same pitches, they share the same key signature. Therefore, C major and a minor share the same key signature of no sharps or flats. These are called relative keys. C major is the relative major of a minor; a minor is the relative minor of C major. Relative keys share the same key signature, but have different tonics.

If a piece has no sharps or flats in the key signature, it can either be in the key of C major or a minor. The key is determined by whichever of the two pitches serves as the tonal center, or tonic.

Listen to the following melodies, both of which have one flat in the key signature.  Can you determine the tonic of each?

			Tonic?

			Tonic?

The tonic of the first melody ("Yankee Doodle") is F, the tonality is F major; whereas the tonic of the second is D, making the tonality d minor. These two melodies are in relative keys because they share the same key signature, but not the same tonic.