Harmony
Parallel minor
The parallel minor of a major key is the minor key with the same tonic but different notes: C minor is the parallel minor of C major.
What is the parallel minor?
Parallel keys share a tonic: C major and C minor, G major and G minor. The tonic stays, the notes change. It is the opposite of the relative minor, which keeps the notes and moves the tonic.
C major has no sharps or flats; C minor has three (Bb, Eb, Ab). Compare the two scales, using the natural minor scale for C minor:
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | D | E | F | G | A | B |
| C minor | C | D | Eb | F | G | Ab | Bb |
Three degrees drop: the third, the sixth and the seventh.
Switching to the parallel minor on guitar
On the neck the switch is simple: keep the same root and lower degrees 3, 6 and 7 by one fret.
- Chord: G (320003) becomes Gm (355333 as a barre). In the E-shape barre at the 3rd fret, only the third (B, 3rd string 4th fret) drops to Bb (3rd fret).
- Scale: G major at the 3rd fret (G A B C D E F#) becomes G minor (G A Bb C D Eb F) by lowering every B, E and F# one fret.
On the circle of fifths, G major (1 sharp) and G minor (2 flats) sit three steps apart: moving to the parallel minor always adds three flats or removes three sharps.
Chords borrowed from the parallel minor
Most of the time you do not change key at all: you borrow a chord from the parallel minor. That is modal interchange. In G major:
| Borrowed degree | Chord | Shape |
|---|---|---|
| iv | Cm | x35543 |
| bVI | Eb | x68886 |
| bVII | F | 133211 |
| bIII | Bb | x13331 |
Two moves to try right now:
- G, C, Cm, G: the minor iv gives a bittersweet colour, a ballad staple.
- G, Eb, F, G: bVI, bVII, I, the 'heroic' cadence of rock anthems and video game music.
Parallel minor in real songs
- Minor verse, major chorus on the same tonic: in A, play Am, F, G for the verse, then A, D, E for the chorus. The contrast comes purely from the change of mode.
- A minor-key piece that ends on the major chord (the Picardy third): Am, Dm, E, then A instead of Am.
To explore these colours, the chord substitutions tool lists the borrowed chords for each key with playable voicings.
Key takeaways
- Parallel minor = same tonic, different scale (C major, C minor).
- Degrees 3, 6 and 7 drop a half step.
- On the circle: three more flats (C: none, Cm: 3 flats).
- Main use: borrowing iv, bVI, bVII, bIII in a major-key song.
Frequently asked questions
What is the parallel minor of D major?
D minor. D major has two sharps (F#, C#), D minor one flat (Bb). The notes that change are F# to F, B to Bb and C# to C.
What is the difference between parallel minor and relative minor?
The parallel minor keeps the tonic (C major and C minor); the relative minor keeps the notes and key signature (C major and A minor). Relative is a change of centre, parallel a change of colour.
Why does an Fm chord sound so good in C major?
Because Fm is the iv of C minor, the parallel minor. Its Ab slides down a half step to the G of the C chord, and that tiny move creates an expressive, darker resolution than F to C.
Related terms
Practise in the workshop
Take it from theory to the fretboard
Open the workshop tools and see this idea across the whole neck. Free account, no card needed.