Relative key

In music, relative keys are the major and minor scales that have the same key signatures (enharmonically equivalent), meaning that they share all of the same notes but are arranged in a different order of whole steps and half steps.

A pair of major and minor scales sharing the same key signature are said to be in a relative relationship.

(This is as opposed to parallel minor or major, which shares the same tonic.)

Because of this, it can occasionally be difficult to determine whether a particular piece of music is in a major key or its relative minor.

Adding to the confusion, a parallel chord is derived from the relative key.