# Parallel key > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Parallel_key > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Parallel_key.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_key > Source revision: 1336207576 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Major and minor scales with same tonic "Parallel (music)" redirects here. For parallel voices, see [Melodic motion](/source/Melodic_motion). For parallel chords, see [Parallel harmony](/source/Parallel_harmony). For the concept in Riemannian theory, see [Parallel and counter parallel](/source/Parallel_and_counter_parallel). For the mechanical component used with turning shafts, see [Key (engineering) § Parallel keys](/source/Key_(engineering)#Parallel_keys). Audio playback is not supported in your browser. You can [download the audio file](https://upload.wikimedia.org/score/9/9/99tjufwe3e6wnx9jplxuioqc8obsins/99tjufwe.mp3). Parallel tonic chords on C major (C), and C minor (Cm). In [music theory](/source/Music_theory), a [major scale](/source/Major_scale) and a [minor scale](/source/Minor_scale) that have the same starting note ([tonic](/source/Tonic_(music))) are called **parallel keys** and are said to be in a **parallel relationship**.[1][2] For example, G major and G minor have the same tonic (G) but have different [modes](/source/Mode_(music)), so G minor is the parallel minor of G major. This relationship is different from that of [relative keys](/source/Relative_key), a pair of major and minor scales that share the same notes but start on different tonics (e.g., [G major](/source/G_major) and [E minor](/source/E_minor)). Parallel major [Play](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/0/01/Major_scale_on_C.mid/Major_scale_on_C.mid.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Major_scale_on_C.mid) and minor [Play](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ef/Minor_scale_on_C.mid/Minor_scale_on_C.mid.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Minor_scale_on_C.mid) scales on C: common notes connected by a vertical line. A major scale can be transformed to its parallel minor by [lowering](/source/Flat_(music)) the third, sixth, and seventh [scale degrees](/source/Degree_(music)), and a minor scale can be transformed to its parallel major by [raising](/source/Sharp_(music)) those same scale degrees. In the early nineteenth century, composers began to experiment with freely [borrowing chords](/source/Borrowed_chord) from the parallel key. In [rock](/source/Rock_music) and [popular music](/source/Popular_music), examples of songs that emphasize parallel keys include [Grass Roots](/source/The_Grass_Roots)' "[Temptation Eyes](/source/Temptation_Eyes)", [The Police](/source/The_Police)'s "[Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic](/source/Every_Little_Thing_She_Does_Is_Magic)", [Lipps Inc](/source/Lipps_Inc)'s "[Funkytown](/source/Funkytown)", [The Beatles](/source/The_Beatles)' "[Norwegian Wood](/source/Norwegian_Wood_(This_Bird_Has_Flown))," and [Dusty Springfield](/source/Dusty_Springfield)'s "[You Don't Have To Say You Love Me](/source/You_Don't_Have_To_Say_You_Love_Me)".[3] ## See also - [Harmonic parallelism](/source/Harmonic_parallelism) - [List of major/minor compositions](/source/List_of_major%2Fminor_compositions) - [Picardy third](/source/Picardy_third) - [Voice leading](/source/Voice_leading) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Benward & Saker (2003). *Music in Theory and Practice*, Vol. I, p.35. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-07-294262-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-07-294262-0). "A major and a minor scale that have the same tonic note are said to be in *parallel relationship*." 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [Forte, Allen](/source/Allen_Forte) (1979). *Tonal Harmony*, p.9. 3rd edition. Holt, Rinehart, and Wilson. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-03-020756-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-03-020756-8). "When a major and minor scale both begin with the same note ... they are called *parallel*. Thus we say that the parallel major key of C minor is C major, the parallel minor of C major is C minor." 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Stephenson_3-0)** Stephenson, Ken (2002). *What to Listen for in Rock: A Stylistic Analysis*, p.48. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-300-09239-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-300-09239-4). v t e Musical key Circle of fifths Closely related Diatonic scale Homotonal Major and minor Modulation Music in all keys Parallel Relative Signature Names and translations Theoretical Tonality Tonic Transposing Instrument v t e Tonality Cadence Circle of fifths Consonance and dissonance Diatonic scale Diatonic function Secondary function Figured bass Just intonation Key Major and minor Modulation Neotonality Ostinato Otonality and utonality Parallel key Polytonality Progressive tonality Schenkerian analysis Sonata form Tonality diamond Tonicization Voice leading This music theory article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. - [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Music-theory-stub) - [t](/source/Template_talk%3AMusic-theory-stub) - [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:Music-theory-stub) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Parallel key](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_key) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_key?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.