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AP Music Theory Practice Quiz: Key Relationships: Parallel, Closely Related, and Distantly Related Keys

Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026

Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 9 questions to check your progress.

Question 1 of 9

According to the provided text, what is the definition of a parallel key?

All Questions (9)

According to the provided text, what is the definition of a parallel key?

A) A key that shares the same key signature but has a different tonic.

B) A key that shares the same tonic but has a different key signature.

C) A key whose key signature differs by no more than one accidental.

D) A key that is enharmonically equivalent to the original key.

Correct Answer: B

The content explicitly states, 'A parallel key is a key that shares the same tonic as the original but has a different key signature.'

Which of the following pairs represents a parallel key relationship?

A) C major and A minor

B) G major and D major

C) F major and F minor

D) B-flat major and G minor

Correct Answer: C

F major and F minor share the same tonic ('F') but have different key signatures (one flat vs. four flats), which fits the definition of a parallel key.

What is the maximum number of accidentals by which the key signatures of two closely related keys can differ?

A) Zero

B) One

C) Two

D) Three

Correct Answer: B

The definition provided states that closely related keys are 'keys whose key signatures differ from the original by no more than one accidental.'

A piece of notated music is in the key of D major (2 sharps). A subsequent passage shifts to the key of G major (1 sharp). What is the relationship between these two keys?

A) They are parallel keys.

B) They are closely related keys.

C) They are distantly related keys.

D) They have no defined relationship.

Correct Answer: B

The key signature of D major (2 sharps) differs from G major (1 sharp) by exactly one accidental. Therefore, they are closely related keys.

What is the primary musical function of closely related keys, as described in the text?

A) To create a sense of ambiguity by sharing the same tonic.

B) To provide the most jarring and dramatic contrast possible.

C) To serve as the most common destinations for a musical shift.

D) To maintain the same key signature throughout a piece.

Correct Answer: C

The text states that closely related keys 'are the most common keys to which a musical passage might shift.'

A composer wants to modulate from E-flat major (3 flats) to a new key. Which of the following keys would be considered closely related?

A) E-flat minor (6 flats)

B) G major (1 sharp)

C) B major (5 sharps)

D) A-flat major (4 flats)

Correct Answer: D

To be closely related, the new key signature must differ by only one accidental. E-flat major has 3 flats. A-flat major has 4 flats, a difference of one. The other options differ by more than one accidental.

What two characteristics must be present for a key to be considered parallel to another?

A) Same tonic, same key signature

B) Different tonic, same key signature

C) Same tonic, different key signature

D) Different tonic, different key signature

Correct Answer: C

This question directly tests the two components of the definition for a parallel key: a shared tonic and a different key signature.

A performer analyzes a piece in B minor (2 sharps). Which of the following keys is NOT closely related to B minor?

A) D major (2 sharps)

B) G major (1 sharp)

C) A major (3 sharps)

D) C major (0 sharps/flats)

Correct Answer: D

B minor has 2 sharps. Closely related keys would have 1, 2, or 3 sharps. D major (2 sharps), G major (1 sharp), and A major (3 sharps) are all closely related. C major (0 sharps) differs by two accidentals, so it is not a closely related key.

When analyzing performed music, if you hear a shift from a major key to a minor key but the tonic pitch remains the same, what type of key relationship has most likely occurred?

A) A shift to a closely related key.

B) A shift to a parallel key.

C) A shift to a relative key.

D) A shift to a dominant key.

Correct Answer: B

The defining characteristics described—a change in mode (major to minor) while keeping the same tonic—perfectly match the definition of a parallel key relationship.