Have you ever wondered why there is so much fuss about the “Circle of Fifths”? (also know as the "Cycle of Fifths" or "Circle of Fourths") Most musicians have heard of it, but few take advantage of its power… You can learn it quickly, and apply it in a lot of helpful ways. Although it looks complex and strange at first, you will find it is actually very relevant to your day-to-day musical life. The trick is to learn the useful patterns hidden inside.

1. What’s the point of the
Circle of Fifths?
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2. You might have wondered why there is
so much fuss about the "Circle of Fifths"
• Most musicians have heard of it, but few take
advantage of its power
• You can learn it quickly, and apply it in a lot of
helpful ways
• The trick is to learn the useful patterns hidden
in what seems to be a simple diagram
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3. What is the Circle of Fifths?
• The Circle of Fifths is a diagram from the world of music
theory
• We draw it as a circle, but it is essentially just a sequence
of note names: F C G D A E B F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯
• Translating sharps into the equivalent flats, it's:
F C G D A E B G♭ D♭ A♭ E♭ B♭
• Notice it repeats. So memorise just "F C G D A E B" and
you're all set!
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4. What is the Circle of Fifths?

5. Why is the Circle of Fifths useful?
• The circle can seem complex or abstract. What
is actually the point of it, for musicians?
• The pattern of notes may seem random but it's
actually carefully chosen and rich with meaning.
• The patterns in the circle reveal which notes
and chords go together in music.
• This can help you improvise, write music, and
play by ear.
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6. Pattern 1: Accidentals
• As you move clockwise around the circle, the
number of sharps in the corresponding major key
signature increases
• As you move counter-clockwise, the number of
flats increases
• This means you can use your knowledge of the
circle to easily remember the sharps or flats that
belong in a key, or identify the key from the key
signature
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7. Pattern 1: Accidentals

8. Pattern 2: Relative Minors
• Each major key has a corresponding minor key
called its "relative minor"
• The relative minor shares the same key
signature (i.e. accidentals) as the major key
• On the circle, the relative minor lives three steps
clockwise from the major
• Example: A Minor is the relative minor of C Major
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9. Pattern 3: The IV and V Chords
• The sequence of notes in the circle is actually a sequence
of major fifths, hence its name, "Circle of Fifths"
• Examples: G is a perfect fifth above C.
• A perfect fifth upwards is equivalent to a perfect fourth
downwards, so moving counter-clockwise is equivalent to
going up by a perfect fourth
• This pattern lets you easily identify the IV and V chords in
any key, which are the most commonly-used chords after
the tonic (key) chord itself
• Knowing this makes it far easier to play chords by ear
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10. Pattern 4: The Root, third and fifth
• The most common notes used in melodies and
improvisation are the root (a.k.a. tonic, or key note), the
third, and the fifth notes of the scale
• You already know how to find the fifth: just move one
step clockwise
• To find the third use this pattern: move 4 steps clockwise
• Example: E is the third in C Major
• You can use this to construct triad chords or to help you
play or improvise melodies by ear
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11. That's just the beginning
• There are more patterns hidden in the Circle,
waiting to be unleashed
• For example you can find the other notes of the
scale, or the next most common chord, the minor vi
• As you get more familiar with the Circle you will
keep finding new ways it applies to your musical
life!
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