The Circle of Fifths

What you’ll learn

Start on C and go up a 5th: C, D, E, F, G. G major has one sharp. Up another 5th to D: two sharps. Then A: three. Every step up a 5th adds one sharp.

Go the other way, down a 5th, and you add flats: F has one flat, B flat two, E flat three.

Put all twelve keys round a clock and you get the circle of fifths, with C, no sharps or flats, at the top:

• One step clockwise is up a 5th, and adds a sharp: C, G, D, A, E, B…
• One step counterclockwise is down a 5th, and adds a flat: C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭…

Key	Steps from C	Key signature	Relative minor
C major	0	none	A minor
G major	1 clockwise	F♯	E minor
D major	2 clockwise	F♯ C♯	B minor
A major	3 clockwise	F♯ C♯ G♯	F♯ minor
F major	1 counterclockwise	B♭	D minor
B♭ major	2 counterclockwise	B♭ E♭	G minor
E♭ major	3 counterclockwise	B♭ E♭ A♭	C minor

Each key’s relative minor sits just inside it on the circle, with the same key signature.

The sharps and flats always come in the same order. The order of sharps is F C G D A E B; the order of flats is the same backwards, B E A D G C F. So two shortcuts name a key from its signature. For sharps, go a half step above the last sharp: F♯ and C♯ end on C♯, so it’s D major. For flats, the second-to-last flat is the key: B♭ and E♭ is B♭ major.

How the lesson works

The circle takes the keyboard’s place in this lesson. Practice goes up to three sharps and three flats; the circle shows all twelve keys. There are three tasks:

1. Count round the circle. “How many sharps or flats does A major have?” Count the steps from C. Eight right.
2. Name the key signature. Up to three sharps or flats on the staff: which major key is it? Eight right.
3. Fill the circle. Which key comes next, clockwise from C, and then counterclockwise? When the circle is full, it plays round, and that’s the end of the course.