Relative minor shares the same key signature as its relative major. Which of the following statements is true?

• A. Relative minor shares the same tonic as its relative major
• B. Relative minor shares the same key signature as its relative major
• C. Relative minor shares the same key signature as its parallel major
• D. Relative minor is always a major key

Answer: (B)

Relatives major and minor share the same key signature because they’re built from the same collection of pitches; the relative minor is the minor scale that uses the same notes as the major scale but starts on the sixth degree. That means the key signature doesn’t change between them. For example, C major and A minor both use no sharps or flats; G major and E minor both use one sharp; D major and B minor both use two sharps. The tonic is not the same—the major’s tonic is its home note, while the relative minor’s tonic is the sixth degree of the major scale (C major vs A minor). The parallel major has the same tonic as the major scale but typically a different key signature, and a relative minor is not always a major key.