Parallel Major and Minor Keys - Music Theory Crash Course

Today I want to talk about parallel major and minor keys. The example we are using today is the Spanish Christmas carol A La Nanita Nana. First we will look at how to identify the minor key by using the three half step trick. Then we can look at how to use that to identify the key signature for ANY minor key. Then we will discuss the reasons why a composer would want to use the major and minor version in the same piece of music.

[halicusnguyen]

I'm genuinely surprised that not a lot of people are watching these videos. I just started to learn music theory a couple of days ago, and these videos provide a lot of clear, concise information that's honestly hard to come by for a subject like music

[caterscarrots]

The parallel major and minor, that’s one thing that I observe over and over again, especially in Beethoven’s music. It’s rare to find a piece by Beethoven that doesn’t use this relationship at all. And I especially see this relationship crop up in pieces that are in the same key as that Spanish lullaby, C Minor. And I often see Beethoven doing this:

C Minor first theme -> Eb or Ab Major second theme -> Development, going through multiple keys -> C Minor first theme again -> *C Major second theme* -> C Major continues -> Ends on C Minor

And right at the C Major to C Minor change, I often see Beethoven doing this:

Peaceful C Major, like nothing could ruin this peace -> *"Psych! It’s still in minor"* moment as a diminished seventh chord pops up out of the blue -> C Minor with the same intensity as before or more intense

[leonidzakhariya]

Thank you! Short, Clear, Sweet. Liked your singing )

[Barry]

The only problem I found in this otherwise GREAT video is that when you played the major scale compared to the parallel minor, you sort of "passed over" the third - the most important note. The third should have been emphasized, since that is the first note in the scale that distinguishes between major and minor. To your credit, you didn't "dumb it down" enough for the untrained ear.

[andym]

Check out in the song another permanent address.

[trevormadsen]

I think you`ve got a mistake. C major and C minor are not called parallel. Major parallel for C is E flat (A flat major), and minor parallel for C is A (A minor).