I,m confused. I have some GCSE music homework and have to work out the relative minor scales from given majors.

The method that I have been given at school is different from the method my piano teacher tells me.
At school, she says count down 4 (????) form the major tonic

My piano teacher says count down 3 semitones from the major tonic.

Which is correct?

Help!!!!!

Your piano teach is right. So if it is C major the relative minor is A minor.

Hi mini B

I too have been told different ways to work it out , But the way I work it out is by going back a minor 3rd from the major scale. So in C maj go back a minor 3rd from C and you arrive a A minor. In G maj go back a minor 3rd and you arrive E so E minor is the relative scale.

I hope this helps

Hi there,
Yes, you actually count DOWN 3 semitones (interval of a minor 3rd) from the major tonic note to get the tonic of the relative minor.
e.g. D major - count down three semitones (Db/C#, C, B,) ANSWER = B minor.
This is always how I teach my students, however, I do know that some teachers use the 4 semitones method but by that they mean that you have to count the note you are already starting on.
I find this too confusing as if you count the note you are already on then you are not counting down!

Hope this makes sense and is of help.

Best wishes,
Bigsymusic.

Hello!
Yes, my piano teacher uses the 3 semitones method as well, but she also says that if you prefer, you can go the other way and go up a major sixth (instead of down a minor third). I find this works better for me, for some reason...perhaps it's something to do with how my brain works! Lol

Hope this helps & have a great day!

yupyup..............it can be:
a. down a minor third from the major key
b. up a major 6th from the major key
c. down 3 semitones from the key note

take your pick..........

cheers,
alphie

But the "4 semitones method" will give an incorrect result every time. Counting 4 down involves 4 chromatic notes downwards inclusive of the major tonic. A single note is not a semitone.

Not if you count the one you're on as in C,B,Bflat,A. It's four inclusive

So it's not four semitones but you count four including the one you're one

This sounds confusing now but it's how I teach it!

Carol

I usually start with the fact that the related minor begins on the 6th degree of the major scale.

Minor keys are derived from the key signature of the major key a minor third higher (three semitones). Harmonic raises the 7th, melodic raises 6th and 7th going up and nothing going down.