Circle of 5ths

What is the circle of 5ths exactly?

The circle of 5ths (or circle of 4ths when you read the diagram in reverse direction) is a theory/concept/system that musicians use to interpret the relationships of tones with each other and be able to talk about and write music (and sheet music) more easily. It's worth learning them because it makes it much easier to read music and learn or write new pieces.

If you look at the diagram below, it might seem really confusing but don't worry, we'll clear it up in a minute. However, it will be necessary for you to be able to read sheet music on a beginner level to understand this diagram. If you don't, you can learn it fast & easy on the How To Read Music Notes page.

What do we use the circle of fifths for?

The circle of 5ths tells you how the twelve tones on the chromatic scale (i.e. A, A♭, B, B♭, C, D, D♭, E, E♭, F, G, G♭) relate to each other. It also shows you the key signatures, the numbers and positions of flat and sharp symbols in them, and the major and minor keys that belong to them. Musicians use this concept/system to interpret the relationships of tones with each other and be able to talk about and write music (and sheet music) more easily.

Explanation:
The red letters show you the names of the different major keys. The green letters inside the circle show you the minor keys. Under the red C there is a little symbol "♮". This symbol means that this key is natural, that is there are no sharp or flat notes in it. From the numbers and symbols in this grey area, you'll find out how many sharps or flats there are in a certain key.

At the bottom of the diagram you'll see some notes separated by a slash. It means that they are so called "enharmonic" key signatures. They are exactly the same but have two names. If you look at a keyboard, for example, you'll see that G♭ and F# is exactly the same. By the way, it's also important to remember where these sharp and flat symbols are in sheet music. They don't just put them on top of each other unfortunately :) To learn them, find out more about key signatures.

If you find it difficult to remember the circle of 5ths, memorize the saying "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle" (the first letter of each word stands for a sharp).

If you'd like to learn music theory really thoroughly, I recommend the Getting It Down Cold Music Theory Course. This course is the best one if you'd like to become a better musician and/or songwriter in a very short time!

More about Music Theory