relative major

American  

noun

Music.

1. the major key whose tonic is the third degree of a given minor key.

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Etymology

Origin of relative major

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

I can’t say that it has to be in a major key or go to the chorus to get to the relative major to get that lift, because that isn’t really what happens.

From The Guardian • Feb. 27, 2017

Even though they have the same key signature, a minor key and its relative major sound very different.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

You may find it helpful to notice that the "relative major" of the Dorian begins one whole step lower.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

The pattern for the minor scale starts a half step plus a whole step lower than the major scale pattern, so a relative minor is always three half steps lower than its relative major.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

The second four-measure phrase, i.e., measures 5, 6, 7 and 8, repeats the material exactly, but with a modulation into the relative major.

From Music: An Art and a Language by Spalding, Walter Raymond