Which statement correctly distinguishes relative minor from parallel minor?

• A. Relative minor shares the same key signature as the major key but has a different tonic.
• B. Relative minor shares the same tonic as the major key but has a different key signature.
• C. Parallel minor shares the same key signature as the major key but has a different tonic.
• D. Parallel minor shares the same tonic as the major key but has a different key signature.

Answer: (A)

In tonal relationships, the key signatures and tonics establish two common connections between major and minor keys. The relative minor is the minor key that uses the same key signature as the major key, but its tonic is different. For example, C major and A minor share no sharps or flats, yet their tonics are C and A. The parallel minor shares the same tonic as the major key but uses a different key signature to form the minor scale—for instance, C major and C minor both start on C, but C minor has flats. So the correct distinction is that the relative minor has the same key signature as the major key but a different tonic.