Circle of fifths: how it works and its uses
The circle of fifths is a diagram of the twelve keys arranged in a ring. Moving clockwise goes up a perfect fifth and adds a sharp. Moving counterclockwise goes down a fifth and adds a flat. It shows key signatures and related keys at a glance.
The circle of fifths is a ring that holds all twelve major keys, and, in an inner ring, their twelve relative minor keys. It is the most useful single diagram in music theory. Once you can read it, you can find any key signature, see which keys are close to each other, and plan chord progressions and key changes. Use the interactive circle at the top of this page to explore any key.
How the circle is arranged
C major sits at the top, with no sharps and no flats. From there, each step clockwise moves up a perfect fifth: C to G, G to D, D to A, A to E, E to B, B to F♯. Each step adds one sharp to the key signature. Going the other way, each step counterclockwise moves down a fifth (or up a fourth): C to F, F to B♭, B♭ to E♭, E♭ to A♭, A♭ to D♭, D♭ to G♭. Each step adds one flat.
| Position | Major key | Signature |
|---|---|---|
| Top | C | No sharps or flats |
| 1 step clockwise | G | 1 sharp |
| 2 steps clockwise | D | 2 sharps |
| 3 steps clockwise | A | 3 sharps |
| 4 steps clockwise | E | 4 sharps |
| 5 steps clockwise | B | 5 sharps |
| 1 step counterclockwise | F | 1 flat |
| 2 steps counterclockwise | B♭ | 2 flats |
| 3 steps counterclockwise | E♭ | 3 flats |
| 4 steps counterclockwise | A♭ | 4 flats |
| 5 steps counterclockwise | D♭ | 5 flats |
Where the two sides meet
At the bottom of the circle, the sharp side and the flat side meet. The keys there can be written two ways: F♯ major with six sharps or G♭ major with six flats, C♯ major with seven sharps or D♭ major with five flats, B major with five sharps or C♭ major with seven flats. They are enharmonic keys: they sound the same, but are spelled differently. Musicians pick the spelling with the fewest accidentals, or the one that makes sense in the piece.
This is why twelve keys fit into the circle, even though there are fifteen key signatures. Three of the keys have two names.
The inner ring: minor keys
Inside the ring of major keys is a ring of minor keys. Each minor key sits next to its relative major, which shares its key signature. A minor sits under C major, E minor under G major, B minor under D major, and so on. That means the signature of A minor is no sharps or flats, the signature of E minor is one sharp, and the signature of D minor is one flat.
What is the circle of fifths used for?
- Finding key signatures: count the steps from C, one sharp or flat per step.
- Finding related keys: neighbors on the circle share all but one note.
- Building chord progressions: the common chords of a key sit in a row on the circle.
- Planning key changes: moving to a neighboring key sounds smooth.
- Transposing: moving a piece up or down by a fifth changes its signature by one sharp or flat.
Chords that are a fifth apart, such as C and G, or G and D, are common neighbors in songs. Many progressions follow the circle backward: a chord leads to the chord a fifth below it. See chord progressions for patterns.
Related keys
A key's closest relatives are the keys one step to the left and right on the circle, and its relative minor. C major is closely related to G major, F major and A minor. Pieces often change key by moving to one of these. The more steps apart, the more notes differ: C major and F♯ major, at opposite sides, share only two notes.
Memory trick: Going clockwise, the new sharp is always the note a half step below the new key's tonic. G major adds F♯, D major adds C♯, A major adds G♯.
Using the circle for transposing
To move a piece into a key a step around the circle, change the signature by one accidental and move every note up or down a fifth (or fourth). Singers and band players use this when a tune is too high or low. The circle also tells you the key signatures of the new key without counting.
The circle of fourths
Read the other way, the same ring is sometimes called the circle of fourths, because each step counterclockwise is a perfect fourth up. A page on it is coming later. It is the same diagram, with attention on a different direction.
To check each key's signature, see key signatures, and for the scales themselves, see the major scales and minor scales pages.
Check yourself
1. What happens to the key signature when you move one step clockwise?
Answer: One sharp is added. Clockwise is up a fifth, which adds a sharp.
2. Which key is one step counterclockwise from C?
Answer: F major. Counterclockwise is down a fifth, and F major has one flat.
3. Which of these is an enharmonic pair of keys?
Answer: F♯ major and G♭ major. They sound the same but are spelled differently.
4. Which minor key sits inside the circle next to C major?
Answer: A minor. A minor is the relative minor of C major.
5. How many sharps does D major have?
Answer: Two. D is two steps clockwise from C: F♯ and C♯.