Music theory · For piano
The circle of fifths
Twelve keys, one wheel. Tap any key to see its key signature and the chords that belong to it, and hear them. Or let it play you round the whole circle.
C major
No sharps or flats · relative minor: A minor
Chords in the key: tap to hear
What the circle of fifths is
The circle of fifths is a map of the 12 keys. Start at C at the top and go clockwise: each key is a fifth above the last. C to G is a fifth (count the letters: C, D, E, F, G), G to D is a fifth, and so on, until twelve steps later you're back at C.
That order isn't arbitrary. Keys a fifth apart share six of their seven notes, so neighbours on the circle are close relatives: they sound alike, they borrow chords from each other, and music moves easily between them. Keys on opposite sides, like C and F♯, share almost nothing.
How to read it
- The outer ring is the 12 major keys.
- The inner ring is the 12 minor keys, each beside the major key that has the same key signature.
- The small figure under each major key is its key signature: how many sharps (♯) or flats (♭) it has.
At the bottom, where the sharp side meets the flat side, F♯ major (six sharps) and G♭ major (six flats) are the same keys on the piano. Two more keys overlap there too: B major is also C♭ major (seven flats), and D♭ major is also C♯ major (seven sharps). They exist, but you'll rarely meet them.
Sharps, flats and key signatures
Go clockwise from C and each key adds one sharp: G has one (F♯), D has two (F♯, C♯), A has three. Go anticlockwise and each key adds one flat: F has one (B♭), B♭ has two (B♭, E♭), E♭ has three.
The sharps always arrive in the same order, which is itself a circle of fifths: F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯. The flats are the same letters backwards: B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭. All 15 key signatures, with a game to learn them: key signatures.
The relative minor keys
Every major key has a relative minor that uses exactly the same notes, and so the same key signature: C major and A minor are both all white keys. On the circle the relative minor sits just inside its major key.
To find it on the piano, start on the major key's note and go down three half steps (three keys, counting black ones): C, B, B♭, A. Or count up to the sixth note of the major scale. Tap a minor key on the wheel, then "relative major", to hear the two side by side: same notes, different home, different mood.
Finding the chords in a key
This is the circle's most useful trick for a pianist. Find your key, then look at the slice of the circle around it: the key, its two neighbours, and the three minor keys inside them. Those six are the main chords of the key.
| Key | I | IV | V | ii | iii | vi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | F | G | Dm | Em | Am |
| G major | G | C | D | Am | Bm | Em |
| F major | F | B♭ | C | Gm | Am | Dm |
The I, IV and V (the key and its neighbours) are the chords behind most folk, blues, rock and pop. Add the vi and you have the four chords of countless songs: in C, that's C, G, Am and F. Tap a key on the wheel and the six light up, numbered.
The circle of fourths
Read the circle anticlockwise and it becomes the circle of fourths: C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭… each key a fourth above the last. It's the same circle, just the other way round.
It matters because chords love to move this way. A chord pulls most strongly towards the chord a fourth above it (or, the same note, a fifth below): G to C, D to G, A to D. Chains of those moves are everywhere: the ii – V – I of jazz (Dm, G, C) is two steps anticlockwise, and songs like "Autumn Leaves" and "Fly Me to the Moon" ride the circle for bars at a time. Press "The other way" above to hear it: every chord sounds like it's leading to the next.
Five ways to use it at the piano
- Read key signatures fast. Count the sharps or flats, count round the circle, and you have the key.
- Find a song's chords. If a song is in G, its chords are probably G, C, D and Em, the slice around G.
- Practise scales in a sensible order. Go round the circle and each new scale adds just one sharp (or flat) to the last.
- Transpose. To move a song up a fifth, move every chord one step clockwise: C, F, G becomes G, C, D.
- Change key smoothly. Moving to a neighbouring key sounds natural; jumping across the circle sounds dramatic.
How to remember it
For the sharp keys, clockwise from C: C, G, D, A, E, B. A common saying: Good Deeds Are Easy, Brother (G, D, A, E, B). For the flat keys, anticlockwise from C: F, then the flats spell BEAD followed by G and C: F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭.
Or don't memorise it at all: on the piano, count up five letters from any key (C, D, E, F, G) to get the next one clockwise. After a few weeks of using it, the circle stays with you.
Know the chords, but they don't sound right? Ivory listens to you play and tells you what's off: a note that's missing, a hand that lands late, a chord that's uneven. Then it shows you how it should go.
Questions people ask
What is the circle of fifths?
A diagram of all 12 major keys, and their relative minors, arranged so that each key is a fifth above the one before it. Going clockwise adds one sharp to the key signature; going anticlockwise adds one flat.
How do you remember the circle of fifths?
Clockwise from C, the sharp keys: C, G, D, A, E, B (Good Deeds Are Easy Brother, or Go Down And Eat Breakfast). Anticlockwise from C, the flat keys: F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭. Or work it out on the piano: count up five white and black notes' worth of letters (C, D, E, F, G) to get the next key.
What is the circle of fourths?
The same circle read anticlockwise: C, F, B♭, E♭ and so on, each key a fourth above the last. Jazz and blues chord progressions often move this way, which is why jazz musicians practise in fourths.
Where are the minor keys on the circle of fifths?
Inside the major keys: each minor key shares its key signature with the major key next to it. That pair is a relative major and minor, like C major and A minor.
How do I find the chords in a key with the circle of fifths?
Find the key, then take its neighbours on both sides and the three minor keys inside them: those are the six main chords of the key. For C major: C, F and G, then Am, Dm and Em.
Why is F sharp also G flat?
On the piano they are the same key. F♯ major has six sharps and G♭ major six flats, and both are written; the circle shows both at the bottom, where the sharp side meets the flat side.