WHAT IS The CIRCLE of FIFTHS?

The Circle of Fifths is a music theory diagram that shows the rela-
tionships among all 12 tones of the chromatic scale, which are all
the tones that exist in Western music. It illustrates the key signa-
tures for every major and relative minor scale built on each of the
12 tones.

The Circle of Fifths is used to illustrate the relationship of diatonic

scales, i. e., major and minor scales, in the system of tonality on
which most Western music is built. Around the outside of the circle
are the key signatures, which show how many sharps or flats are in
each major and relative minor scale. The outside circle shows the
names of the Major keys, or scales, in capital letters. The inner circle
shows the names of the minor keys, or scales, in lower case letters.
Each Major key has a relative minor key shown in the same color,
CIRCLE OF 5THS POSTER because these "relatives" share the same key signature.
The circle of fifths and color spectrum
are helpful visual tools to understanding
tonal and harmonic relationships in both
in music and art. The poster includes WHO FIRST USED IT?
this downloadable Activity Guide, which The first Circle of Fifths appeared in 1670 in a treatise on composi-
explores relationships of keys and colors,
with helpful tips to learn key signatures,
tion called Grammatika by Nikolai Diletskii, a Ukrainian composer
relative major/minor keys, and more. and theorist. The purpose of the Circle of Fifths was to be a guide for
17" x 22". Poster & Guide 28515 composition students.

HOW DO WE USE IT TODAY?

The Circle of Fifths is a visual aid to learning key signatures of major and relative minor scales, and to see
the relationships that exist between different chords and scales. The scales with the closest relationship to
any given key are its nearest neighbor up a 5th and down a 5th. Likewise, the chord with the closest
relationship to any given chord is the chord built on the 5th up or 5th down from the root of that chord.
These 3 chords form the harmonic basis of tonality:
Tonic (or I chord), built on the first note of the scale
Dominant (or V chord), built on the 5th note of the scale
Subdominant (or IV chord), built on the 4th note of the scale.
For example, in a C Major scale the 3 main chords are: the tonic (I) chord built on the first note, C (C E G);
the dominant (V) chord built on the 5th note, G (G B D); and the subdominant (IV) chord built on the 4th
note, F (F A C).
Giant Staff Wall Chart 28100
Giant Keyboard Wall Chart 28104

Tonic Dominant Subdominant

I V IV
Music-Go-Rounds: ALPHADOTS Set 1. Silicone dots cling to the
whiteboard, floor, or any smooth surface. Use to identify notes, inter-
vals, chords, scales, etc. on keyboard and staff floor mats, and enjoy
hands-on activities and games. 2 ea. of A-G. 3¾". Set of 14 28031

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There is a strong relationship between these 3 chords. The tonic is like home, and the center of gravity:
the dominant and subdominant chords lead you on a journey away from home, but eventually push you
back home. Play the tonic, subdominant and dominant chords in that order: you will feel the urge to re-
turn home to the tonic after hearing the dominant chord. That is how tonality functions.

Try the same thing with a melody. Sing or play Row, Row, Row Your Boat, but stop before the last word.
The notes of a melody will wander away from the first degree, or key note of the scale. But the melody,
like the harmony, has a tendency to eventually push us back home to the key note, which is center of
gravity. When the melody returns to the key note, or the harmony returns to the tonic chord, that ending
on a secure resting place is called a cadence. It is like the comma at the end of a phrase or a period at the
end of a sentence.

The further away any key is from another in the Circle of Fifths, the more distant is the relationship. Can
you see by looking at the Circle of Fifths why keys are more closely related to their near neighbors than
to their distant neighbors? Play the scale of C and the scale of neighbors G (up a 5th) and F (down a 5th).
How many notes does C major scale have in common with G or F scales? (see below) They share more
DNA, just like close relatives. As you move further around the Circle, there are increasingly fewer com-
mon tones in their scales, so they become more distant kinfolk or eventually not related at all!
Music Go Rounds:
C Major scale has the same SHARPS & FLATS
notes as G Major (except Sharps and flats for A-G.
for one sharp) and F Major 3¾" silicone dots.
(except for one flat). Set of 14 28028

by 5ths sharp
key
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s do pb
ey y5
tk th
s
fla

LEARN KEY SIGNATURES

If you start on C at the top of the Circle and move to the
right (clockwise) up by 5ths, each new key will succes-
sively add a sharp to the key signature.
C Major - 0 sharps
G Major - 1 sharp
D Major - 2 sharps
A Major - 3 sharps etc.
If you start on C at the top of the Circle and move to the
left (counter clockwise) down by 5ths, each new key will
successively add a flat to the key signature.
C Major - 0 flats
F Major - 1 flat
B Flat Major -2 flats
E Flat Major - 3 flats etc.

ORDER OF THE SHARPS: F C G D A E B

The sharps are always written on the staff in the same
order, regardless of how many are in the key signature.
Notice that the sharps move up by 5ths.

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 ORDER OF THE FLATS: B E A D G C F
The flats are always written in the same order,
regardless of how many are in the key signature.
Notice that the flats move down by 5ths.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE NAME OF THE MAJOR KEY by the Key Signature
IN SHARP MAJORS: IN FLAT MAJORS:
To find the name of the major key in sharps, take the To find the name of the major key in flats,
last sharp, and move up a half step. For example, if identify the next to the last flat and that is the
there is one sharp (F), what’s up a half step? G. name of the key.

G Major D Major E Major B flat Major E flat Major A flat Major

HOW TO IDENTIFY THE NAME OF THE MINOR KEY by the Key Signature
To find the name of the relative minor key of any
sharp or flat major key, find the major key note (as above)
and go down 3 half steps.
Ex., if there are 2 sharps, the major key is D.
Go down 3 half steps to find the relative minor key
with the same key signature: b minor.
D flat Major - down 3 half steps. b flat minor
D Major/ b minor

D flat Major/ b flat minor

Note: Notice that the Major keys
translucent
are indicated with capital letters on
silicone the outside of the circle. The minor
keys are indicated by lower case
letters on the inside of the circle.
The relative Major and minor keys
are shown in the same color, as
they are most closely related. Also
Music-Go-Rounds KEY SIGNATURE SET notice that the relative minor key
for Floor Staff & Giant Wall Chart note is always 3 half steps down
Cut strips along guidelines into 7 sharps from the Major key note.
and 7 flats, 6" x 21/2". Set of 14 28085

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 KEYBOARD TOOLS & EXERCISES
for understanding and applying the Circle of Fifths
Half Steps Whole Steps
A half step is the A whole step is made
distance from up of 2 half steps. Thus
one pitch to the a whole step is from a
very next pitch, pitch, skipping a half
for example step, to the next pitch.
from A up to A For example, from C to
sharp or B flat; D (skipping C Sharp/D Flat); or from E to F sharp
or from F down to E or F flat. (skipping F).

Major Scale
The Major scale is made up
of whole and half steps, with ½ ½
the half steps between scale
degrees 3 to 4 and 7 to 8.

Tetrachords
Hide your thumbs and arrange
for Major Scale 8 fingers in the air to show the
half steps from 3 to 4 and 7 to 8.
The Major scale is composed Use the tetrachords to build major
of 2 four-note groups called scales on the keyboard starting
on any key.
tetrachords. Build a major scale
starting on any note of the
keyboard, using the tetrachord
pattern of 2 whole steps + 1
half step. Every major scale has
this same pattern, with the half
steps from scale degrees 3 to 4
and 7 to 8.
E Major

Scales: How to Develop Your Internal Musical GPS

Every musician practices scales as technical fingering exercises, and to develop balanced even tones,
agility and eventually speed. Music is full of scales—the foundation of tonality— so scales are a neces-
sary skill builder. But another important reason to practice scales is to wrap the mind and ear around the
unique key signature, learning to be aware of the sharps or flats in a given major (or minor) scale. If you
are aware of what key you are in, you will find the secret of successful sight-reading and memorization:
it’s like finding your way on the highway with a good map and road signs—or GPS— telling you where you
are and where you are going. When you see accidentals in the music, you know you are modulating into a
new key. Music makes sense within the context of tonality, or keys; without awareness of keys, music can
look and feel like a jumble of unrelated notes. Recognizing recurring musical patterns of tonality—scales,
intervals, chords, cadences, modulations, etc.—is the key to developing reading, performance, musicality,
and memorization skills.
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Root Triads in the Circle of 5ths
Notate the major chords of the Circle of 5ths on the staff and/or keyboard wall chart. Notice that the 5th
degree of each triad becomes the 1st degree of the next triad, and this continues throughout the Circle of
5ths. Then play the entire Circle of 5ths on the piano, as shown. This exercise of moving through the major
sharp and flat keys by playing the tonic chord of each key is a great practical tool. Sing along, too, so the
ears, as well as the mind and fingers, are absorbing the Circle of 5ths. These root-position triads are the
bedrock on which harmony and tonality are built.

etc.

C Maj. G Maj. D Maj. A Maj. E Maj. B Maj. F Maj.

Things to Note:
Major to Relative Minor...and Back Again 1. The major tonic chord and its relative minor tonic chord have two notes in
Try this keyboard exercise in different keys common. The 1 and 3 of the major triad become 3 and 5 in the minor.
2. Go 3 half steps down from the major key note to find the relative minor
using the suggested fingering. key note.

C Major A Minor A Minor C Major

R.H. 1 3 5 3 1 2 1 3 5 3 1 1 3 5 3 1 2 1 3 5 3 1

5-Finger Positions at the Keyboard

Play and sing note names ascending and descending in 5-finger positions in all the major keys: with right
hand alone, left hand alone, then both hands together. Do the same for the minor keys.

Improvise in Major Scales

Improvise with short question and answer phrases in different scales. This is a good activity for 2 people
at the piano, as it accustoms the players to think and respond quickly within any given scale, remember-
ing the sharps and flats of the key signature. This gives students a practical way to gain fluency in differ-
ent keys as they explore rising and falling patterns and experience the tonal pull of the key note. At first,
try this with one hand in 5-finger position. Then do the same with both hands in tetrachord position to
help visualize the full major scale, with the half steps from 3-4 and 7-8.

Question Answer
Question Answer

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 GLOSSARY OF TERMS
The following terms are essential to understanding tonality, and the relationships within tonality
that have been ingeniously illustrated in the Circle of Fifths for over 400 years of Western music.

Accidental - a sharp or flat or natural that raises or lowers a pitch from the normal note within
the scale indicated by the key signature
Cadence - a place of rest in the music, similar to a comma or period at the end of a phrase or sentence;
the final cadence in the system of tonality is usually created by the return of the melody to the home
key note, and the return of the harmony to the tonic chord. The most common cadence in music is from
the dominant (or dominant 7th) chord to the tonic (V to I, or V7 to I), known as the Authentic Cadence.
Another familiar cadence is the Plagal Cadence, from the sub-dominant to the tonic (IV to I), which is
the "Amen" heard at the end of hymns.
Chord - 3 or more notes that are stacked vertically on the staff and are played at the same time, which
creates a single harmonious sound
Chromatic - when additional sharps, flats, or naturals are added to diatonic keys
Chromatic scale - a scale built of half steps, on all 12 tones in the octave.
Diatonic - major and minor scales that match their key signature, without additional altered notes,
i. e., sharps, flats, or naturals which are not in the key signature.
Dominant - the 5th note of the scale, or the chord built on the 5th note of the scale
Enharmonic - the same pitch, but written differently; ex., F sharp and G flat, or B and C flat.

Flat - a flat indicates to lower the pitch a half step

Half Step - the distance from one pitch to the nearest pitch
Interval - the distance between any 2 pitches
Key - the name of the major or minor scale in which a piece is written
Key Note - the first note in the scale of a given key signature, from which the scale gets its name; also
called the root
Key Signature - the number of sharps or flats in the scale in which a piece is written
Major Scale - is made up this pattern of whole and half steps: W W H W W H
Minor Scale - There are 3 forms of the minor scale.
Pure scale is made up of whole and half steps, with half steps from 2 to 3 and 5 to 6.
Harmonic scale has a raised 7th note.
Melodic scale has a raised 6th and 7th going up, then lowered coming down.
Octave - the distance from any pitch name to the same pitch name either 8 notes higher or lower; these
2 pitches have the same letter name, for example from C to C, and the human ear recognizes the two
notes of the octave as essentially the same thing. The octave is divided into 12 half steps.
Relative Major/Relative Minor - the major and minor scales that share the same key signature

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Scale - a stepwise pattern of pitches, organized in a series of whole and half steps according to its type of
scale, or mode. The word scale comes from Latin "scala", meaning ladder. The arrangement of whole and
half steps determines if it is major, minor, or one of the other 5 modes
Scale Degree - the numbers applied to the notes of the scale: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Sharp - a sharp indicates to raise the pitch a half step
Sub Dominant - the 4th note of the scale, or a chord built on the 4th note of the scale
Tetrachord - a group of 4 stepwise notes; the 8-note scale consists of two tetrachords
Tonality - the system of related scale tones and harmonic progressions that have a home key note, or
tonic chord, as the center of gravity. Tonality has been the basis of most Western music from the 17th
century to the early 20th century, and most popular music today is still tonal. The 3 primary chords in a
tonal system are the I (tonic), V (dominant), and IV (subdominant). Wherever a tonal piece may roam, to
distant chords and distant keys, the tendency is to always return home, to the tonic chord.
Tonic - the first degree of the diatonic scale, also known as the key note; it also refers to the tonic chord
(constructed on the first note of the scale)
Triad - 3 notes or pitches that are stacked vertically in 3rds and played simultaneously; the triad is the
simplest type of chord (3 or more pitches played at the same time). Triads can be major, minor,
augmented, or diminished, depending on the pattern of major and minor thirds in the triad.
Whole Step - the distance of 2 half steps

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 HOW MUSIC AND ART CORRESPOND
TONALITY, COLOR SPECTRUM, & THE NUMBER 7

7 Tones of the Musical Alphabet

There are 7 letters in the musical alphabet, representing the seven degrees, or tones, of a scale.
These tones are determined by the frequency of their sound waves which reach our ears. When
longer, thicker strings vibrate, the frequency and pitch is lower; when shorter and smaller strings
vibrate, the frequency and pitch are higher. Look inside a piano, and pluck the thicker and thinner,
longer and shorter strings to see how this works. Imagine the larger, longer vocal cords of a tall man
who sings low bass compared with the smaller, shorter cords of a child who sings high soprano.

7 Colors of the Light Spectrum

There were originally 7 colors in the visible light spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo,
and violet (according to Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century, who equated these 7 colors of the rain-
bow to the musical scale). These colors are determined by the lengths of the light waves which reach
our eyes. The longest wave lengths are red, and they gradually decrease in size to violet.

The Significance of Number 7

Early artists, musicians, scientists, philosophers, and religions saw in the number 7 strong meanings
and relationships in the physical and spiritual universe. It was the number that represented complete-
ness or perfection.
7 tones in the musical scale
7 medieval modes or scales, each of which had a different emotional effect
7 sharps and 7 flats in pitches
7 sharp major keys, 7 sharp minor keys, 7 flat major keys, 7 sharp minor keys
7 colors in the rainbow
7 colors in the visible color spectrum (some now eliminate indigo, and call it only 6)
7 planets according to the early Greeks (which included the Sun and Moon), whose movements creat-
ed sounds, or the Harmony of the Spheres, like the 7 notes of the scale.
7 cardinal virtues and 7 vices (7 deadly sins)
7 Liberal Arts for the Greeks: Trivium (grammar, logic, and rhetoric) and Quadrivium (arithmetic, ge-
ometry, music and astronomy)
7 days in a week
In the Bible seven was the number of completeness and perfection, both physical and spiritual. Ac-
cording to the Bible, God created the Earth in 7 days, with the Sabbath falling on the 7th day; and it
is still in 7 days that we measure our week. The total number of original books in the Bible is 49, or 7
times 7.
In the Islamic Qur'an, there are 7 heavens, and hell has 7 gates.

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