Transcript included below…

Pro tip: please watch the short video version of this post that I link to here: https://www.guitarsuccess4u.com/borrowchords. It will give you a much clearer grasp of what I’m sharing here.

Let’s first discuss how to access, and then how to use relative and parallel minor keys.

The relative minor key

The word “relative” implies that something is “related,” right? So, if our starting point is the key of C Major, with the chords: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim, we can access the relative minor key by going up to the chord on the 6th degree, or down to that same chord.

What is the minor vi chord in C Major? It’s A minor. So, if we know the chords in C Major, we also know the chords in A minor, because that’s the relative minor key, and it shares the very same chords.

So, if I start on the minor vi chord, A minor, and make that my new minor i chord, I now have the chords: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, and G.

These are the same 7 chords, but I started on a different degree, and as I did this, I achieved the chords in the relative minor key.

I’m including two diagrams to show you what’s happening. First, check out the diagram that shows how to move from C Major to A minor.

The blue lines in this diagram indicate the continuous chords in the key of C Major. But as my green swoopy arrow shows, I can jump up from C to the minor vi chord for A minor.

My orange swoopy arrow shows the other way to access the minor vi chord, by going down from C to the same minor vi chord. Then, as the table just below that line of chords shows, I can extract the chords in A minor, highlighted by a red line.

So that’s how we can access the relative minor key, which also shares the same key signature as its relative Major key, in this case, zero sharps or flats.

The parallel minor key

Let’s switch gears now as we talk about how to access the parallel minor key.

When I think of the word “parallel,” I think of 2 lines that never intersect. In other words, these 2 parallel keys can start on the same note, but they are not related.

Let’s put this into practical use. Again, if we reference the key of C Major, we again have the chords: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am, and Bdim.

If I want to access the parallel minor key of C Major, what would that be? Don’t think too hard. It’s just C minor!

And although they start on the same C note, those chords are completely different.

They are: Cm, Ddim, Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, and Bb. Not a single one of those chords is the same as the chords in the parallel Major key of C Major.

Have a look at my second diagram that shows us how to move from C Major to C minor. As you can see from this table, there are zero flats in the key of C Major, but there are three flats in the key of C minor.

Now, playing in three flats is not as easy, because really, we only have access to moveable or bar chords here.

But there’s a work-around, and I think you may know what that is. It involves placing the capo on the 3rd fret, and then just playing the same shapes we just played in A minor.

The shapes are: Am, Bdim, C, Dm, Em, F, and G.

Note that even though these shapes correspond to the key of A minor, the chords with the capo on the 3rd fret are in C minor.

Borrowing chords from the parallel minor

So now we have access, not only to the relative minor, but also the parallel minor. But why is all of this helpful?

Well, if I’m playing in C Major, I can easily modulate to and from A minor.

If I’m playing in C Major and I want to borrow a chord or two from the parallel C minor, this is not only possible, it’s very musical.

I can borrow the Major bIII chord, Eb.

I can borrow the minor iv chord, Fm.

I can also borrow the minor v chord, Gm.

I can even borrow the Major bVI – Ab, and the Major bVII chord – Bb.

Now, none of these chords I can borrow are in C Major. They’re all in C minor. But since I’ve been able to access the parallel minor key, I can borrow from it and really create some fresh sounds.

There are real world examples of these kinds of progressions all over the place in worship music, pop music, and more. And if you’re curious, you can also play in a minor key and borrow chords from its parallel Major key.

See the potential, not just in these keys, but in every key?

There’s so much more to this, but don’t worry…I’m about to tell you about a place where you can discover all of this on a much deeper, but very accessible level, that’s also a whole lot of fun.

Let me ask you a question. Do you have someone who speaks truth and wisdom into your guitar journey on a regular basis? If you do have someone, like a guitar teacher, that’s great! Stay with that teacher.

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Can you picture yourself using the guitar to fulfill your dreams?

You may just want to enjoy the instrument as a hobby. Or maybe you want to contribute something original for people to be impacted by.

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Come see what it’s all about at GuitarSuccess4U, a one-of-a-kind online monthly membership.

Head on over to www.GuitarSuccess4U.com to learn more, or to begin your journey with us.

I hope to be able to serve you in what could be a totally new approach for you as a guitarist.

Thanks for taking time with me today to explore another topic that can lead to serious fun. I hope this was helpful, and I look forward to next time!

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