Circle of fifths

In short: The circle of fifths arranges all twelve major and minor keys in a circle, each a fifth apart. At a glance you can see how many sharps or flats a key has and which keys are closely related.

In more detail: C major, with no sharps or flats, sits at the top. Going clockwise, each fifth upwards adds a sharp; going anticlockwise, each fifth downwards adds a flat.

In detail

• Sharp keys: G major has one sharp, D major two, A major three, E major four, B major five and F-sharp major six.
• Flat keys: F major has one flat, B-flat major two, E-flat major three, A-flat major four, D-flat major five and G-flat major six.
• Memory aid: For the sharp keys a phrase such as “Go Down And Eat Breakfast” helps (G, D, A, E, B), followed by F-sharp.
• Order of accidentals: Sharps are added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B; flats in the reverse order B, E, A, D, G, C, F.
• Enharmonic equivalents: At the bottom of the circle F-sharp major and G-flat major meet; they sound the same on a piano but are written differently.
• Relative keys: Every major key has a minor key with the same key signature, a minor third lower, such as A minor for C major.
• Related keys: Neighbouring keys differ by just one accidental and are well suited to modulation.
• Finding chords: A key’s two neighbours provide its most important accompanying chords, so in C major these are F major and G major.
• Practical use: Knowing the circle of fifths helps you read keys faster and find your way when transposing (tonleitern-dur-und-moll, akkorde-grundlagen, transponieren-tonarten-wechseln).