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Rimsky-Korsakov, Practical Manual of Harmony in English

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov · section 49 of 96

Related keys, or first-class keys

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§ 48. 1) Every major or minor key has six first-class related keys, whose tonic chords are found within that major or minor key.

Thus the keys related to the key of C will be:

The six keys related to C major: A minor, G major, F major, f minor, E minor, D minor (roman type marks a major key, italic a minor one).
Fig. 184 · See it in the reader

The six keys related to the key of A minor will be:

The six keys related to A minor: C major, D minor, E minor, E major, F major, G major.
Fig. 185 · See it in the reader

2) All other keys, relative to C and A, are distant keys, of the second, third class, and so on.

3) The transition from one key to another is based on the chords common to both keys.

4) We shall call precedent the key that is the starting point, and following the one to which we wish to pass.