Music theory tool
Interactive Circle of Fifths
Click a key to see its signature, its scale and the seven chords that belong to it, and play them on a piano.
What is the circle of fifths?
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 keys so that each one is a perfect fifth above the one before it: C, G, D, A and so on, until you arrive back at C. Neighbouring keys share six of their seven notes, so the circle is also a map of which keys are close to each other.
Read it the other way, anticlockwise, and each step is a fourth (C, F, B♭…). That is why it is sometimes called the circle of fourths.
Key signatures
C major sits at the top with no sharps or flats. Every step clockwise adds one sharp (G has one, D has two), and every step anticlockwise adds one flat (F has one, B♭ has two). At the bottom, F♯ and G♭ are the same keys on the piano, written with six sharps or six flats.
Sharps are always added in the same order, F C G D A E B, and flats in the reverse order, B E A D G C F.
Relative major and minor
The inner ring shows each major key's relative minor: the minor key with the same signature. C major and A minor both have no sharps or flats; G major and E minor both have one sharp. The relative minor starts on the sixth note of the major scale.
Finding the chords of a key
The chords of any key sit next to each other on the circle. For a major key, the key itself and its two neighbours give the three major chords (IV, I and V); the minor keys under them give the three minor chords (ii, vi and iii); and the diminished chord (vii°) sits at the centre. Select a key above and all seven light up.
This is why so many songs move between a chord and its neighbours on the circle, and why the circle is a handy tool for writing progressions and transposing a song to another key.
Questions about the circle of fifths
How do I use the circle of fifths on the piano?
Pick the key of the piece you are learning. Its signature tells you which black keys to play, the scale shows you the notes under your fingers, and the highlighted chords are the ones you will meet most often in that key.
Why are F♯ and G♭ both at the bottom?
They are the same keys on a piano, just written differently: F♯ major has six sharps and G♭ major has six flats. Musicians choose whichever spelling is easier to read.
How do I find the relative minor of a key?
Look at the ring just inside the major key: A minor under C, E minor under G, and so on. Both keys share the same notes and the same key signature.
Practising on an acoustic piano that sounds off?
If chords sound sour even when you play the right notes, the piano is probably out of tune. Our technicians tune pianos across Israel.