Relative Keys
For every key signature, there are two possible keys - one major and one minor. The two keys which share the key signature are called relatives, e.g., D minor is the relative minor of F major and vice versa. The following table shows all key signatures used in music, with the relative major and minor keys written under each one.
Here is a popular South American folk song which moves between the keys of G minor and Bb major which are relative keys. This melody makes use of both the harmonic minor and the natural minor. Notice the rit symbol at the end indicating a gradual slowing down of the tempo.
Learn this song from memory and then try transposing it to other keys, e.g., A minor, E minor and B minor. You can work out the notes of these scales and their relative majors by using the scale formulas shown in this lesson and the previous key signatures chart . Make a habit of transposing everything you learn to as many keys as possible.
