AP Music Theory Flashcards: Relative Keys: Determining Relative Minor Key and Notating Key Signatures
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 10 cards to help you master important concepts.
When a passage of music shifts key, what is one common type of key relationship it can form with the original key?
One common relationship is that of a relative key, which shares the original key signature but establishes a new tonic.
Card 1 of 10
All Flashcards (10)
When a passage of music shifts key, what is one common type of key relationship it can form with the original key?
One common relationship is that of a relative key, which shares the original key signature but establishes a new tonic.
Besides the tonic, what do a major key and its relative minor have in common?
They share the same key signature, meaning they are built from the same collection of notes.
What is the relationship between the key signature of a major key and its relative minor?
A minor key has the exact same key signature as the major key of which it is a relative.
In what two contexts are you expected to be able to identify relative keys?
You are expected to identify relative keys in both performed music (by ear) and notated music (by sight).
When analyzing a musical score, what is the primary indicator of a potential shift to a relative key?
The primary indicator is a shift in the tonal center or tonic while the key signature remains unchanged.
What is the key difference between a major key and its relative minor?
The key difference is the tonic note on which each key is based.
A score shows a key signature of two flats. If the piece is in a minor key, which key signature have you identified?
You have identified the key signature for both B-flat Major and its relative, G minor.
If you are asked to notate the key signature for a minor key, what is the first step?
The first step is to identify its relative major key, as the minor key will use that same key signature.
How would you aurally distinguish between a piece in a major key and a piece in its relative minor?
Although they use the same notes, you would listen for the different tonic, or tonal center, that the music resolves to.
What is a relative key?
A relative key is a key that shares the same key signature as another key but starts on a different tonic.