Relative key
When a piece of music is in a major key, the relative minor means the minor key which has the same key signature. It can be found by taking the sixth note of the first scale and playing a minor scale starting on that note. For example: in C major the sixth note is an A. Therefore, A minor is the relative minor of C major (C major and A minor share the same key signature: no sharps or flats). C major is called the relative major of A minor.
A complete list of relative minor/major pairs in order of the circle of fifths is:
| Key signature | Major key | Minor key |
|---|---|---|
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math>, A<math>\flat</math>, D<math>\flat</math>, G<math>\flat</math>, C<math>\flat</math>, F<math>\flat</math> | C flat major | A flat minor |
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math>, A<math>\flat</math>, D<math>\flat</math>, G<math>\flat</math>, C<math>\flat</math> | G flat major | E flat minor |
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math>, A<math>\flat</math>, D<math>\flat</math>, G<math>\flat</math> | D flat major | B flat minor |
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math>, A<math>\flat</math>, D<math>\flat</math> | A flat major | F minor |
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math>, A<math>\flat</math> | E flat major | C minor |
| B<math>\flat</math>, E<math>\flat</math> | B flat major | G minor |
| B<math>\flat</math> | F major | D minor |
| C major | A minor | |
| F<math>\sharp</math> | G major | E minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math> | D major | B minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math>, G<math>\sharp</math> | A major | F sharp minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math>, G<math>\sharp</math>, D<math>\sharp</math> | E major | C sharp minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math>, G<math>\sharp</math>, D<math>\sharp</math>, A<math>\sharp</math> | B major | G sharp minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math>, G<math>\sharp</math>, D<math>\sharp</math>, A<math>\sharp</math>, E<math>\sharp</math> | F sharp major | D sharp minor |
| F<math>\sharp</math>, C<math>\sharp</math>, G<math>\sharp</math>, D<math>\sharp</math>, A<math>\sharp</math>, E<math>\sharp</math>, B<math>\sharp</math> | C sharp major | A sharp minor |