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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?
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.
  
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