Understanding the Parallel Minor: A Simple Guide for Piano Students
- Diana Mascari
- Jun 7
- 6 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Have You Ever Wondered:
"Does this chord sound happy—or sad?"
If so, you’re not alone. Many piano students (and even some seasoned players) have tried to make sense of this question.
Sometimes the person asking will follow up with:
"Is this chord major or minor?"
That’s exactly where our exploration begins.
Related article: Why is April so important in the lives of piano students?
Major = Happy, Minor = Sad?
This is the most common way music teachers explain the difference between major and minor chords. And for many people, it works—major chords often sound bright or cheerful, while minor chords feel more somber or introspective.
So as we begin diving into major and minor scales, keep this emotional contrast in mind. It’s a simple starting point that opens the door to much deeper understanding.
1st Step: Find the Key
Before you can determine whether a piece is in a major or minor key, you first need to identify the key of the song.
2nd Step: Decide If It’s Major or Minor
Once you’ve figured out the key, the next step is asking:
Is it based on a major scale—or a minor one?
How to Identify the Key of Any Song—Fast
In my post, How to Identify the Key of Any Song in No Time, I walk you through the essential steps. You’ll learn how to spot key signatures and understand how relative minors work (hint: a minor key shares the same key signature as its major counterpart and begins on the 6th scale degree).
Spend a little time with that blog, and you’ll start to feel confident identifying both major and minor keys.
But there’s one more piece to the puzzle we haven’t discussed yet…
What Does "Parallel" Mean in Music?
Let’s borrow a definition from geometry for a moment:
Parallel lines are lines that run side by side, always the same distance apart, and never intersect. Think train tracks—moving in the same direction, together.
In music, the term parallel can describe something similar.
For example, in Bartók’s Mikrokosmos, the right- and left-hand parts sometimes play the exact same melody—just in different octaves. If one hand moves up, so does the other. If one moves down, the other follows.
The lines are identical in shape and movement—making them parallel.
Sometimes this is called playing in octaves, sometimes in unison. Either way, the idea is that the two musical lines mirror each other. They’re parallel in structure and direction.
This idea of parallelism helps us understand something important in harmony too:
parallel major and minor keys.
And that’s where we’re headed next.
What Is the Parallel Minor Key?
Now that you understand the idea of parallelism in music (think: train tracks moving side by side), let’s apply that concept to scales.
Take a look at these two scales:
C Major: C – D – E – F – G – A – B – C
C minor (natural minor): C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
Notice anything? They start on the same note—C—and use the exact same letter names. That’s why they’re called parallel keys.
C minor is the parallel minor of C major, and vice versa,
C major is the parallel major of C minor.
This isn’t just true for C. Every major key has its own parallel minor. They share the same note names but differ in accidentals (the sharps and flats). Think of it as a shift in emotional tone without changing the core structure.
Let’s try another example:
E♭ Major: E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭
E♭ minor: E♭ – F – G♭ – A♭ – B♭ – C♭ – D♭ – E♭
Even though the notes sound different, the letter names remain the same. That’s the hallmark of a parallel relationship in music.
So just like train tracks running side by side, parallel major and minor keys follow the same path—just with a shift in mood and color.
The Relative Minor and the Parallel Minor: How Do They Relate?
Over my many years of teaching piano, I’ve noticed that most students grasp the concept of the relative minor fairly quickly. That’s because it shows up often in the music they play and is supported by a simple, logical rule: The relative minor shares the same key signature as its major counterpart.
Let’s look at an example.
Eb Major and C Minor: A Relative Relationship
The C minor scale starts on the 6th note of the Eb major scale, making it the relative minor of Eb major.
Here’s how they line up:
Key Signature of Eb Major: 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab)
Key Signature of C Minor: 3 flats (Bb, Eb, Ab)
Eb Major Scale: E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C – D – E♭
C Minor Scale: C – D – E♭ – F – G – A♭ – B♭ – C
As you can see, both keys use the same flats, but they begin on different notes. That’s what defines a relative minor—same key signature, different tonal center.
Relative vs. Parallel Minor: Key Differences
Let’s clarify the distinction between these two:
Relative Minor– Shares the same key signature as the major key– Starts on the 6th scale degree of the major scale– Uses a different set of notes (different tonic)
Parallel Minor– Shares the same tonic note as the major key– Has a different key signature– Uses the same letter names, but different accidentals
Example:
G Major → G – A – B – C – D – E – F# – G (1 sharp)
G Minor → G – A – Bb – C – D – Eb – F – G (2 flats)
G minor is the parallel minor of G major because they share the same starting note but not the same key signature.
Musical Examples in Classical Piano
A great pair of examples is found in Bach’s Minuets from the Anna Magdalena Notebook:
Minuet in G Major (1 sharp)
Minuet in G Minor (2 flats – Bb, Eb)
The G minor minuet doesn’t just stay in one key—it moves to Bb major, the relative major of G minor, in the middle section. Then it returns to G minor before transitioning back to the G major minuet. This elegant use of relative and parallel key relationships adds emotional depth and tonal interest.
Popular Songs and Modulation
These same principles appear in well-known songs, too:
"My Funny Valentine" begins in C minor, then modulates to Eb major (its relative major) in the bridge. The third verse returns to C minor but ends in Eb major.
"The Summer Knows" (from The Summer of '42) starts in F minor and moves to F major in the bridge. This is a perfect example of a parallel modulation.
Conclusion: Why This Matters
Understanding the relationship between relative and parallel keys helps unlock the structure of the music you play. Whether you're working on a classical piece, improvising, or analyzing a favorite song, being able to recognize these key changes deepens your musical insight.
So the next time a piece shifts keys, ask yourself: "Is this a relative move—or a parallel one?"
Your answer might just change how you hear and interpret the music.
If learning about key relationships like relative and parallel minors sparked your curiosity, imagine how much more you can discover through personalized piano lessons or composition lessons. Whether you're a beginner or returning to music after years away, I’ll help you turn understanding into creativity and confidence.
Diana Mascari-Piano & Composition Teacher for Adults
Diana Mascari has taught piano to hundreds of students for more than 47 years. She is dedicated to enriching her students’ lives by supporting their individual musicality.
She has developed a teaching system called the Transformational Approach to Piano. It offers her students colorful musical insights that broaden their experience beyond traditional methods.
Diana holds two Masters of Music degrees from New England Conservatory, taught keyboard harmony to music majors at Boston University, and was the music director of a multicultural Presbyterian Church for four decades.
Diana has performed as a solo jazz pianist as well as with her ensembles at many colleges and jazz clubs throughout New England. Many of these performances featured Diana's jazz compositions.
As a composer, she has explored the intersection of jazz and classical music. Her compositions reflect her deep appreciation for musical structure, enhanced by the spontaneity and emotion of jazz. Each piece has a timeless sense and is designed to move and inspire. Her works have been performed in Europe, Japan, and the Eastern United States.
Diana’s vibrant personality infuses her teaching, performing and composing as she inspires piano students to achieve their musical goals.
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