C major and C natural minor are parallel keys. Which scale degrees differ between them?
AScale degrees 2, 4, and 5 — these are raised in major and appear lowered in natural minor
BScale degrees 3, 6, and 7 — each is lowered by a half step in natural minor (written ♭3, ♭6, ♭7)
CScale degrees 1, 3, and 5 — the tonic triad pitches change between parallel major and minor
DScale degrees 4, 6, and 7 — the subdominant and subtonic distinguish major from natural minor
Comparing C major (C–D–E–F–G–A–B) with C natural minor (C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭) degree by degree: scale degrees 1 (C), 2 (D), 4 (F), and 5 (G) are identical. Only degrees 3, 6, and 7 differ — each lowered by a half step in natural minor. These three altered degrees, written ♭3, ♭6, and ♭7, account for the entire structural difference between parallel major and minor. Knowing exactly which degrees change — and which stay the same — is what enables borrowed chord analysis.
Question 2 Multiple Choice
A composer is writing in C major and uses an A♭ major chord — a chord that doesn't belong to the C major scale. A student says 'this must mean the piece has modulated to a new key.' What is a more accurate description of what's likely happening?
AThe student is correct — any chord containing a pitch outside the home key signature indicates a modulation to a new tonal center
BThe A♭ major chord borrows the ♭6 scale degree from C minor (the parallel minor) — this is modal mixture, not modulation, because C remains the tonal center throughout
CA♭ major is enharmonically G# major, which is the mediant of E major, so the passage has briefly tonicized E
DThe A♭ is a chromatic passing chord with purely voice-leading function and no structural harmonic role
Modal mixture (borrowed chords) allows a composer to import chords from the parallel minor while keeping the same tonic. A♭ in C major contains ♭6 — a degree found in C minor but not C major. Using this chord darkens the harmonic color without leaving the C tonal center; it is not a modulation. Modulation involves establishing a new tonic; mixture borrows from the parallel mode while staying home. This distinction is only visible once you can map the precise degree-by-degree difference between parallel keys.
Question 3 True / False
C major and A minor are parallel keys because they share the same starting pitch.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: False
C major and A minor are *relative* keys — they share the same key signature (no sharps or flats) but start on different pitches (C and A respectively). Parallel keys share the same starting pitch (tonic) but have different key signatures. C major and C minor are parallel: both start on C, but C minor has three flats (E♭, A♭, B♭). Confusing relative and parallel is one of the most common errors in early music theory — and it matters because the two relationships have completely different analytical applications.
Question 4 True / False
Scale degrees 1, 2, 4, and 5 are identical in parallel major and natural minor scales built on the same tonic.
TTrue
FFalse
Answer: True
In C major: C–D–E–F–G–A–B. In C natural minor: C–D–E♭–F–G–A♭–B♭. Scale degrees 1 (C), 2 (D), 4 (F), and 5 (G) are the same in both. Only degrees 3, 6, and 7 differ. This precise shared-versus-altered mapping is what makes borrowed chords conceptually coherent: you know exactly which pitches stay the same when you move between parallel modes and which ones change.
Question 5 Short Answer
Why is understanding the parallel relationship (rather than only the relative relationship) essential for analyzing chromatic chords in tonal music?
Think about your answer, then reveal below.
Model answer: The parallel relationship reveals which specific scale degrees differ between major and minor on the same tonic — ♭3, ♭6, and ♭7. This is the structural basis for modal mixture: a composer can import chords containing these altered degrees from the parallel minor while keeping the same tonal center. The relative relationship (same key signature, different tonic) doesn't explain this — borrowed chords come from the parallel mode, not from the relative key.
Modal mixture is one of the most expressive harmonic resources in tonal music, from Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' to contemporary film scores. A composer writing in C major who darkens the harmony with a ♭VI chord (A♭ major) or a iv chord (F minor) is drawing on C minor — the parallel minor, not any other key. You can only see this mechanism clearly once you've mapped exactly where C major and C minor diverge and where they coincide.