Circle of fifths
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 major keys in a wheel, each a perfect fifth above the previous one, showing at a glance how many sharps or flats each key has.
Major key / Relative minor
| Major key | Relative minor | Accidentals |
|---|---|---|
| C | Am | — |
| G | Em | 1# |
| D | Bm | 2# |
| A | F#m | 3# |
| E | C#m | 4# |
| B | G#m | 5# |
| F# | D#m | 6# |
| Db | Bbm | 5b |
| Ab | Fm | 4b |
| Eb | Cm | 3b |
| Bb | Gm | 2b |
| F | Dm | 1b |
Como ler este número
How to read the wheel
De onde vem o dado
Where this comes from
O que fazer com isso
What to do with it
Why this order?
Each step to the right goes up a perfect fifth (7 semitones) and adds one sharp to the key signature; each step to the left goes up a perfect fourth and adds one flat. That is why C (no sharps or flats) sits at the top and the "heaviest" keys sit at the bottom, next to each other.
The points farthest from C carry the most accidentals: F# (6#) / Db (5b). Those two keys are, in practice, the same pitch (enharmonic) — which is why the circle "closes" there.
What is it actually used for?
Two neighboring keys on the circle share almost every scale note, so moving from one to the other (modulating) sounds natural — a common trick in composition and improvisation.
The relative minor of each major key uses the exact same key signature, just starting on a different note (the major scale's 6th degree).
Glossário: os termos desta página
Circle of fifths
A diagram arranging the 12 major keys in a wheel, each a perfect fifth above the previous one. It shows at a glance how many sharps or flats a key has.
Relative minor
The minor key that shares the same key signature (same sharps or flats) as a given major key. Example: Am is the relative minor of C.
Key signature
The sharps or flats written at the start of the staff, applying to the whole piece in that key.
Major scale
A 7-note sequence following a fixed whole-step/half-step pattern (W-W-H-W-W-W-H) that gives the bright, "major" sound used as the reference scale in Western music.
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