Circle of Fifths
The interactive circle of fifths below lets you hear every major and minor key, explore diatonic chords, and build chord progressions — click any wedge to get started. All 12 major keys and their relative minors are arranged so adjacent keys differ by exactly one accidental. See all 30 key signatures in the Key Signature Reference.
Click any key to explore · Outer ring = major · Inner ring = minor
How to Use the Interactive Circle of Fifths
Click any wedge on the outer ring to select a major key — the tool immediately plays the tonic chord so you can hear its characteristic sound. The right panel shows all seven diatonic chords for that key (I through vii°) with individual play buttons and Roman numeral labels. Use ▶ Scale to hear the ascending major scale, or ▶ Tonic to replay the root chord.
Click the inner ring to select a relative minor key — the teal highlight shows its paired major. All relative minor and major keys share the same key signature and diatonic note set; they're the same collection of pitches with a different tonal center.
Building Chord Progressions
Switch to the Build Progression tab to construct your own chord sequences. Click up to 8 keys around the circle in any order. Use the preset buttons to instantly load classic progressions relative to your selected root key:
- I–IV–V–I — the foundation of blues, rock, and folk. Moves counterclockwise (IV) then clockwise (V) then back home.
- I–V–vi–IV — behind thousands of pop songs. The vi is the relative minor of the I chord.
- ii–V–I — the backbone of jazz harmony. Moving counterclockwise by whole steps creates strong resolution.
- I–vi–IV–V — the classic 50s/doo-wop progression, found throughout early rock and roll.
Reading the Color Code
- Blue wedge — currently selected major key
- Teal wedge — relative minor (same key signature, inner ring)
- Brighter border — dominant (clockwise neighbor, V) and subdominant (counterclockwise, IV)
What Is the Circle of Fifths?
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 major keys in a circular pattern where each adjacent key is a perfect fifth (7 semitones) higher going clockwise, or a perfect fourth (5 semitones) higher going counterclockwise. Starting at C major (top of the clock, no accidentals) and moving clockwise, each step adds one sharp to the key signature. Moving counterclockwise from C adds one flat.
Keys in clockwise order starting at C (12 o'clock position): C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯/G♭, D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F — then back to C. The bottom of the circle (6 o'clock) is F♯/G♭: the enharmonic pivot point where 6 sharps equals 6 flats. Every major key has a relative minor sharing the same key signature, shown on the inner ring of the circle.
Musicians use the circle of fifths to: find relative minors and majors, understand which chords are diatonic to a key, plan chord progressions that move by fifths (I → IV → V), and choose transposition targets for different instruments.
Clockwise: Adding Sharps
Each step clockwise around the circle raises the 7th scale degree by a half step, adding one sharp to the key signature. The order of sharps follows F–C–G–D–A–E–B (the mnemonic “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle”).
| Major Key | Sharps | New Sharp Added | Relative Minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Major | 0 | — | A minor |
| G Major | 1 | F# | E minor |
| D Major | 2 | C# | B minor |
| A Major | 3 | G# | F# minor |
| E Major | 4 | D# | C# minor |
| B Major | 5 | A# | G# minor |
| F#/Gb Major | 6 | E#/Cb | D#/Ab minor |
Counterclockwise: Adding Flats
Each step counterclockwise lowers the 4th scale degree, adding one flat to the key signature. The order of flats follows B–E–A–D–G–C–F (the reverse of the sharps order: “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father”).
| Major Key | Flats | New Flat Added | Relative Minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Major | 0 | — | A minor |
| F Major | 1 | Bb | D minor |
| Bb Major | 2 | Eb | G minor |
| Eb Major | 3 | Ab | C minor |
| Ab Major | 4 | Db | F minor |
| Db Major | 5 | Gb | Bb minor |
| Gb/F# Major | 6 | Cb/F# | Eb/D# minor |
Enharmonic Equivalents
Three key pairs at the bottom of the circle are enharmonically equivalent: they produce identical pitches but are notated differently. Composers and arrangers choose between the sharp and flat spelling based on context, instrument transpositions, and notational simplicity.
| Sharp Spelling | Flat Spelling | Sharps (sharp spelling) | Flats (flat spelling) |
|---|---|---|---|
| F# major | Gb major | 6 | 6 |
| C# major | Db major | 7 | 5 |
| B major | Cb major | 5 | 7 |
Practical Musician Uses
The circle of fifths is an everyday tool for musicians across all styles:
- Transposition: Moving one step clockwise transposes up a perfect fifth. For example, a song in C major becomes G major — useful for singer key changes or instrument transpositions.
- Dominant and subdominant: The key one step clockwise is the dominant (V), and one step counterclockwise is the subdominant (IV). In C major, G major is the dominant and F major is the subdominant.
- Chord progressions: Circle-of-fifths progressions (I → IV → vii° → iii → vi → ii → V → I) create strong harmonic pull. Jazz standards frequently chain ii–V–I movements around the circle.
- Borrowed chords: Adjacent keys on the circle share 6 of 7 diatonic notes, making chord borrowing between neighboring keys sound natural. Modal mixture (borrowing from parallel minor) is a common technique.
- Key selection for instruments: Transposing instruments (B♭ clarinet, E♭ alto saxophone) sound a different pitch than written. The circle helps quickly identify what the written key should be for each transposing instrument.
Circle of Fifths: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the circle of fifths?
The circle of fifths is a visual map of all 12 major keys arranged so each adjacent key differs by exactly one accidental — one sharp or one flat. Moving clockwise adds a sharp; moving counterclockwise adds a flat. It also shows the relative minor for every major key on the inner ring.
How do you use the circle of fifths for chord progressions?
Adjacent keys are harmonically related. Moving clockwise one step gives you the dominant (V chord); counterclockwise gives the subdominant (IV). The most common progressions — I–IV–V–I, I–V–vi–IV, and ii–V–I — all move between neighboring keys. Jazz musicians chain multiple ii–V–I movements to modulate through several keys.
What is the relative minor of a major key?
Every major key shares its key signature with a relative minor on the inner ring. The relative minor starts on the 6th scale degree — three half steps below the major root. C major's relative minor is A minor; G major's is E minor; F major's is D minor. They share the same seven notes.
What are enharmonic equivalents on the circle?
At the bottom (6 o'clock) are three enharmonic pairs: F♯/G♭, C♯/D♭, and B/C♭. These are the same pitch spelled two ways. F♯ major has 6 sharps; G♭ major has 6 flats. Composers choose based on context, notational clarity, and instrument convention.
How is the circle of fifths used in jazz?
Jazz relies heavily on ii–V–I progressions, which move counterclockwise in whole steps. Standards like Autumn Leaves and All The Things You Are chain these through multiple keys. Jazz musicians use the circle to plan modulations, tritone substitutions, and reharmonizations.
Why is it called the circle of fifths and not fourths?
Moving clockwise by a perfect fifth (7 semitones) cycles through all 12 keys before returning to the start — so the clockwise direction is the "circle of fifths." Moving counterclockwise by a perfect fifth is the same as moving clockwise by a perfect fourth (5 semitones), which is why it's sometimes called the "circle of fourths" when reading counterclockwise.