Circle of fifths

A diagram arranging the twelve keys in a ring, each one a fifth above the last, so that moving clockwise adds a sharp and moving anticlockwise adds a flat.

The circle of fifths summarises how keys relate to one another: neighbours on the ring share all but one note, which is why a modulation to a neighbouring key sounds natural while a jump across the circle sounds dramatic. It also explains key signatures, since the number of sharps or flats in a key is simply its distance from the top of the circle. Guitarists use it to find the relative minor, to work out which chords belong together and to spot where a progression is likely to go.

Example: Starting from C and moving five notes up the circle gives G, then D, then A, each adding one sharp.

Circle of fifths

See also