What is parallel?

What is parallel?

• A. When the major and minor scales share the same key signature
• B. When the major and minor scales begin on the same pitch but end on different pitches
• C. When two scales have the same tonic but different endings
• D. When the major and minor scales begin and end on the same tonic pitch

Answer: (D)

Parallel major and minor share the same tonic note, meaning they both start on the same pitch. In practice, the major scale and its parallel minor scale also resolve to the same pitch an octave higher—the octave of the tonic—so they end on the same pitch. That’s why the statement describing them as beginning and ending on the same tonic pitch is correct. The other ideas don’t fit: parallel keys do not have the same key signature, they do not end on different pitches, and the idea of same tonic with different endings isn’t accurate because both end on the octave of that same tonic.

Parallel major and minor share the same tonic note, meaning they both start on the same pitch. In practice, the major scale and its parallel minor scale also resolve to the same pitch an octave higher—the octave of the tonic—so they end on the same pitch. That’s why the statement describing them as beginning and ending on the same tonic pitch is correct. The other ideas don’t fit: parallel keys do not have the same key signature, they do not end on different pitches, and the idea of same tonic with different endings isn’t accurate because both end on the octave of that same tonic.