PARALLEL KEY

In music, the 'parallel minor' or 'tonic minor' of a particular major key is the minor key with the same tonic; similarly the 'parallel major' has the same tonic as the minor key. For example, G major and G minor have different modes but both have the same tonic, G; so we say that G minor is the parallel minor of G major.
In the early nineteenth century, composers (notably Robert Schumann) began to experiment with freely borrowing chords from the parallel key.
To the Western ear, the switch from a major key to its parallel minor sounds like a fairly simplistic "saddening" of the mood (while the opposite sounds like a "brightening"). This change is quite distinct from a switch to the relative minor.

Contents

Calculating the key signature of the parallel major or minor key

See also

Calculating the key signature of the parallel major or minor key

Flats always appear in the order B-E-A-D-G-C-F. Sharps always appear in the order F-C-G-D-A-E-B.
For example, if there are 3 flats in the key signature, those flats would be B, E, and A. If there are 2 sharps in the key signature, they would be F and C.

★ 'To find the parallel minor of a key, add 3 flats to the key signature.'
:For example, F major has 1 flat (B). Adding 3 flats would yield 4 flats, meaning F minor consists of B, E, A, and D flat.
:B major has 5 sharps (F, C, G, D, A). To find B minor, add 3 flats. Since flats cancel out sharps, one is left with 2 sharps (F and C).

★ 'To find the parallel major, add 3 sharps.'
:E minor to E major: E minor has 1 sharp (F). Add 3 to get 4 sharps (F, C, G, D).
:F minor to F major: F minor has 4 flats (B, E, A, D). Add 3 sharps to get 1 flat (B).

See also

★ Relative key

★ Harmonic parallelism

★ Major/minor (tonal structure)