What a relative minor is
Every major key has a relative minor: a minor key that uses exactly the same seven notes and the same key signature, but treats a different note as home. C major and A minor both use only the white keys of a piano. In C major the music resolves to C; in A minor it resolves to A.
The relationship works both ways. A minor’s relative major is C major. Musicians use the pair constantly, moving between them inside one song to shift the mood without any change of notes.
Relative minor chart for all 12 major keys
Each pair shares the same notes and the same key signature. On the Camelot wheel they share a number: the major key is on the B ring and its relative minor on the A ring.
Natural and sharp keys
| Major key | Relative minor | Camelot codes |
|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | 8B and 8A |
| G major | E minor | 9B and 9A |
| D major | B minor | 10B and 10A |
| A major | F# minor | 11B and 11A |
| E major | C# minor | 12B and 12A |
| B major | G# minor | 1B and 1A |
Flat keys and F# / Gb
| Major key | Relative minor | Camelot codes |
|---|---|---|
| F major | D minor | 7B and 7A |
| Bb major | G minor | 6B and 6A |
| Eb major | C minor | 5B and 5A |
| Ab major | F minor | 4B and 4A |
| Db major | Bb minor | 3B and 3A |
| F# / Gb major | D# / Eb minor | 2B and 2A |
The shortcut: three semitones
To find the relative minor of a major key, count down three semitones (half steps) from its tonic. From C: B, B-flat, A. So the relative minor of C major is A minor. From G: F#, F, E, which gives E minor.
To find the relative major of a minor key, count up three semitones. From E minor: F, F#, G, which gives G major.
Another way to see it: the relative minor starts on the sixth note of the major scale. In C major (C D E F G A B), the sixth note is A. The relative major starts on the third note of the minor scale.
Relative vs parallel keys
Relative keys share notes but have different tonics. Parallel keys share a tonic but have different notes: C major and C minor are parallel keys, three notes apart (E, A and B become E-flat, A-flat and B-flat).
This matters when you combine songs. A vocal in A minor sits naturally over an instrumental in C major, because none of the notes clash. A vocal in C minor over the same instrumental will clash on three notes, even though both songs are “in C”.
Natural minor vs harmonic minor
The relative minor described above is the natural minor scale. Many songs in minor keys raise the seventh note to create a stronger pull back home: in A minor, G becomes G#, giving an E major chord instead of E minor. That is the harmonic minor scale.
The raised seventh is a common reason a key finder or your ear hesitates between a minor key and its relative major. If you hear a G# chord tone in what otherwise sounds like C major, the song is probably in A minor.
How to tell which of the pair a song is in
Because both keys use the same notes, the clue is the chord that feels like the end. Listen to the last chord of the chorus or the song: if it is A minor, the song is in A minor; if it is C major, it is in C major. Melodies also tend to settle on the tonic at the end of phrases.
Mood helps less than you might think: plenty of dance tracks in minor keys sound bright, and many ballads in major keys sound sad. Trust the resolving chord.
Why relative keys mix so well
On the Camelot wheel, switching from A to B on the same number is one of the four safest moves, because nothing about the notes changes. Going from 8A to 8B lifts the mood from minor to major while keeping every note compatible, and going the other way darkens it.
For a mashup, this means a vocal in a minor key can usually sit over an instrumental in its relative major with no pitch shift at all. Check that the chord under each vocal phrase supports the melody, then fine-tune by ear.