Understanding Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths

by TANIA GLEAVES on SEPTEMBER 28, 2012

The circle of fifths, introduced by Johann David Heinichen in 1728, is a visual arrangement of related keys. Although its name gives the impression that it’s a difficult concept to grasp, it’s really just an easy way to remember the number of sharps and flats in a key signature and the major and minor key relationships.

Sharps and Flats

If you can imagine a clock for a moment, where each hour represents a particular key, you can identify that key’s sharps and flats. Let’s say that:

• • 12:00 or “0:00” represents the C Major key (or the A Minor key)…

  • 1:00 represents the G Major key (or the E Minor key)…

  • 2:00 represents the D Major key (or the B Minor key)…

  • 3:00 represents the A Major key (or the F# Minor key)…

  • 4:00 represents the E Major key (or the C# Minor key)…

  • 5:00 represents the B Major key (or the G# Minor key)…

  • 6:00 represents the F# Major key (or the Eb Minor key)…

  • 7:00 represents the Db Major key (or the Db Minor key)…

  • 8:00 represents the Ab Major key (or the F Minor key)…

  • 9:00 represents the Eb Major key (or the C Minor key)…

  • 10:00 represents the Bb Major key (or the G Minor key), and

  • 11:00 represents the F Major key (or the D Minor key).

Perfect Fifths

If you’ll notice, each hour (or key) is separated by a perfect fifth (moving clockwise). A perfect fifth is an interval made up of three whole steps and one half step. For example, A perfect fifth above C is G, and a perfect fifth above E is B. This is where the pattern gets its name . It follows a unique pattern on our imaginary clock where:

• • … the perfect fifth of the C Major key is G.

  • … the perfect fifth of the G Major key is D.

  • … the perfect fifth of the D Major key is A.

  • … the perfect fifth of the A Major key is E.

  • … the perfect fifth of the E Major key is B.

  • … the perfect fifth of the B Major key is F#.

  • … the perfect fifth of the F# Major key is C#.

  • … the perfect fifth of the C# Major key is G#.

  • … the perfect fifth of the G# Major key is D#.

  • … the perfect fifth of the D# Major key is A#.

  • … the perfect fifth of the A# Major key is F.

  • … the perfect fifth of the F Major key is C.

This pattern helps us determine the sharps and flats of a signature because they’re always a perfect fifth away (moving clockwise). Just remember that sharps increase in the clockwise direction while flats increase in the counter-clockwise direction (note: when you move counter-clockwise, each hour- or key- is separated by a perfect fourth).

Related Keys

As an example, the C Major and A Minor keys are related because they both lack sharps and flats. Based on the circle of fifths, we discover that a single flat relates the F major key to the D minor key while a single sharp relates the G major key to the E minor key as well. Two flats relate the Bb major key to the G minor key while two sharps relate the D major key to the B minor key too. Three flats relate the Eb major key to the C minor key while three sharps relate the A major key to F# minor key. Starting to see a pattern? The concept is of course easier to understand with a visual.

circle of fifths chart

The Enharmonic Notes

The 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 hours are unique in that they help you identify different notes with the same pitch. These notes are said to be enharmonic to each other:

• • “5:00″ can either be B Major (G# Minor) with five sharps (from the clockwise perspective) or Cb Major (Ab Minor) with seven flats (from the counter-clockwise perspective).

  • “6:00″ can either be F# Major (D# Minor) with six sharps (from the clockwise perspective) or Gb Major (Eb Minor) with six flats (from the counter-clockwise perspective).

  • Lastly, “7:00″ can either be C# Major (A# Minor) with seven sharps (from the clockwise perspective) or Db Major (Bb Minor) with five flats (from the counter-clockwise perspective).

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