Minor Keys
You may have noticed that the previous solo started and finished with an A minor chord. This is because the solo was in the key of A minor. There are two basic types of keys in most music: major keys and minor keys.
For every key signature there are two possible keys, one major and one minor. These are called relative keys, e.g., the key signature for the key of C major contains no sharps or flats, as does the key of A minor. The key of A minor is therefore called the relative minor of C major.
To find the relative minor of any major key, start on the 6th degree of the major scale. The following example shows the scale tone chords for the key of A natural minor.
As you will see, the chords are exactly the same as those contained in the key of C major. The only difference is the starting and finishing point. Because the minor scale starts on A, Amin will now be chord I instead of VI .
The following progression could be described in two possible ways. It could be called VI V VI IV V in C major or I VII I VI VII in A minor. Because the progression has an obvious minor tonality, musicians would use the second description. Experiment with other chord combinations in the key of A minor.
Written in the next example are the scale tone chords for the key of E natural minor which is the relative minor of G major. Once again, the chords will be the same as those of its relative, but the starting note is E instead of G so Em will be chord I .
Like music written in major keys, anything in a minor key can be transposed to other keys. The following example shows the keyboard part from example 77 transposed to the key of E minor.
Sometimes only two chords are needed to give the effect of a minor key. Notice also the use of space in this keyboard part. Particularly when playing with other instruments, it is not necessary to play all the time. Try transposing this part to the key of A minor.
