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What is the Circle of Fifths?
The circle of fifths is a visual tool that helps musicians understand key signatures and how different keys relate to each other. Once you know how to read it, it becomes a quick reference for finding major/minor keys, building chords, writing music, and more.
While not absolutely essential for playing music, learning to read the circle of fifths can help solidify your music theory knowledge and overall musicianship.
How to Read the Circle of Fifths
The circle works like a clock with 12 points. Each point represents a key, and moving clockwise takes us up by perfect fifths. As we rotate to the right or left from C, the key signature gains sharps or flats [Figure 1]:
Clockwise: Add one sharp per rotation — C → G → D → A → E → B → F♯ → C♯
Counterclockwise: Add one flat per rotation — C → F → B♭ → E♭ → A♭ → D♭ → G♭ → C♭
Relative Major and Minor Keys
Each major key has a relative minor — a key that shares the exact same notes and key signature. [Figure 2] These are written inside the circle under their relative major.
For example:
C major (0 sharps/flats) → A minor
G major (1 sharp) → E minor
F major (1 flat) → D minor
Don’t confuse relative with parallel keys! Parallel keys share the same tonic but have different notes (e.g., C major and C minor). [Figure 3]
Figure 1:
Figure 2:
Figure 3:
Practical Uses
Here are a few common ways to use the circle of fifths:
1. Find Key Signatures
Need to know how many sharps are in E major? Count to 4 clockwise from C — E has 4 sharps.
Need to know how many flats are in A♭ major? Count to 4 counterclockwise from C — A♭ has 4 flats.
2. Identify Relative Keys
Every major key has a minor key that shares its key signature. The circle makes it easy to find these pairs.
3. Choose Chords That Fit Together
If you treat each letter on the circle as a chord rather than a key, the ones grouped closely together often belong to the same scale. For example:
In the key of C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, and Am are all right next to each other.
Some versions of the diagram even include diminished chords, which gives us our missing vii°. [Figure 4]
4. Modulation & Improvisation
The closer two keys are on the circle, the more notes they share — which makes transitions smoother.
Modulating from C to G = subtle (1-note difference)
Modulating from C to F♯ = dramatic (6-note difference)
In improvisation, the circle can help you pick nearby keys when playing over tricky, non-diatonic chord changes.
Figure 4:
How to Draw the Circle of Fifths
Step 1: Draw the Clock
Draw a circle with 12 evenly spaced points, like a clock face.
Draw 4 lines in each direction (like a compass) [Figure 5], then 2 lines in between each. [Figure 6]
Label the top point as C.
Step 2: Add Major Keys
Clockwise: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, (C♯ off to the side) [Figure 7]
Counterclockwise: C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, (C♭ off to the side) [Figure 8]
Note that certain pairs like F♯ and G♭, C♯ and D♭, & C♭ and B are enharmonic equivalents — same notes, different names.
Step 3: Add Minor Keys
Write each minor key under its relative major [Figure 9]:
Clockwise from A: A, E, B, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, (A♯)
Counterclockwise from A: A, D, G, C, F, B♭, E♭, (A♭)
Figure 5:
Figure 6:
Figure 7:
Figure 8:
Figure 9:
How to Figure Out Key Signatures
You can use acronyms to help remember which notes are sharp or flat in each key.
Sharps:
Use the acronym F–C–G–D–A–E–B:
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle [Figure 10]
G major (1 sharp) → F♯
D major (2 sharps) → F♯, C♯
B major (5 sharps) → F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯
Flats:
Use the reverse acronym B–E–A–D–G–C–F:
Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father [Figure 11]
F major (1 flat) → B♭
E♭ major (3 flats) → B♭, E♭, A♭
A♭ major (4 flats) → B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭
Figure 10:
Figure 11:
Quick Acronyms to Draw the Circle
To quickly write in the key names on the circle, try these:
Major Keys (Clockwise from C):
Currently Giraffes Don’t Always Eat Brown Figs (Correctly)
C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, (C♯)
Major Keys (Counterclockwise from C):
Could Fifty Bouncing Electric Ants Defy Gravity (Consistently)
C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, (C♭)
Minor Keys (Clockwise from A):
All Edible Bugs Feel Crunchy, Gross, Disgusting
A, E, B, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯
Minor Keys (Counterclockwise from A):
Always Depressed Getting Cookies From Bad Eggs
A, D, G, C, F, B♭, E♭
Or come up with your own — have fun with it!
Bonus Patterns & Tips
Sum of 7
For every enharmonic pair (e.g., C and C♯), the total number of sharps and flats always adds up to 7.
C major = 0 sharps, C♯ major = 7 sharps → 0 + 7 = 7
G minor = 2 flats, G♯ minor = 5 sharps → 2 + 5 = 7
Scale Building Shortcut
To build a major scale, start at the perfect fourth (P4) and move clockwise: F, C, G, D, A, E, B → the 7 notes in C major. Scales on the circle will move in the following order: P4, R, P5, M2, M6, M3, M7.
Key Takeaways
The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool that shows how keys relate to each other through intervals of perfect fifths.
Moving clockwise, you add one sharp per key. Moving counterclockwise, you add one flat per key.
Each major key has a relative minor that shares the same key signature (e.g., C major and A minor).
The circle helps with identifying key signatures, finding related chords, modulating between keys, and more.
The order of sharps is: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯, B♯
The order of flats is: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭, F♭The sharp and flat keys “meet” in the middle at F♯/G♭, which are enharmonic equivalents. They overlap at C# and C♭.
Drawing the circle yourself (and using acronyms to remember key orders) is a great way to internalize the concept.