Jam Jam
The circle of fifths in one diagram
On the circle of fifths, two neighbouring keys are a perfect fifth apart (seven semitones) and differ by a single note. The outer ring holds the major keys, the inner ring their relative minors, and the number of accidentals in the key signature sits outside. At the bottom, F♯ major and G♭ major sound the same: that is where sharps meet flats.
| Major key | Relative minor | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C | Am | no accidentals |
| G | Em | 1♯ |
| D | Bm | 2♯ |
| A | F♯m | 3♯ |
| E | C♯m | 4♯ |
| B | G♯m | 5♯ |
| F♯/G♭ | D♯m/E♭m | 6♯/6♭ |
| D♭ | B♭m | 5♭ |
| A♭ | Fm | 4♭ |
| E♭ | Cm | 3♭ |
| B♭ | Gm | 2♭ |
| F | Dm | 1♭ |
Relative minor keys: same signature, different home
Every major key has a relative minor that uses exactly the same notes: it sits three semitones lower, on the sixth degree of the major scale. C major and A minor have no accidentals, G major and E minor one F♯. To tell whether a piece is major or minor, listen for the chord it comes to rest on, often the first and the last.
The order of sharps and flats in a key signature
Key signature accidentals are always added in the same order, also in fifths: F, C, G, D, A, E, B for sharps, and the reverse, B, E, A, D, G, C, F, for flats. A signature of three sharps therefore holds F♯, C♯ and G♯: A major or F♯ minor. Tip: in major, the tonic is a semitone above the last sharp, or on the second-to-last flat.
| Order | Sharps | Flats |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | F♯ | B♭ |
| 2 | C♯ | E♭ |
| 3 | G♯ | A♭ |
| 4 | D♯ | D♭ |
| 5 | A♯ | G♭ |
| 6 | E♯ | C♭ |
| 7 | B♯ | F♭ |
Finding the chords of a key with the circle of fifths
The three major chords of a major key (degrees I, IV and V) are the key itself and its two neighbours on the circle: in C, they are F, C and G. The three minor chords (ii, iii, vi) are the relative minors of those three neighbours, just inside the circle: Dm, Em and Am. The seventh degree is a diminished chord. The chart below lists the seven chords of eight common keys.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| G | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯dim |
| D | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯dim |
| A | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯dim |
| E | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯dim |
| F | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Edim |
| B♭ | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Adim |
| E♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Ddim |
I, IV and V are major, ii, iii and vi minor (m), vii° diminished (dim).
What the circle of fifths is for: transposing, writing, improvising
The circle helps you transpose (shift a whole chord chart by the same number of steps), spot close keys for a smooth modulation, and understand chord movement: many progressions, such as ii-V-I, move by fifths counterclockwise. To see a scale on a keyboard, Jam Jam’s free online keyboard shows the scale of the key you pick among 16 scales, with out-of-scale notes greyed out.
To put these chords in motion, read our guide to common chord progressions.
Frequently asked questions about the circle of fifths
How do you read the circle of fifths?
Start at C at the top. Clockwise, each step goes up a fifth and adds a sharp; counterclockwise, each step goes down a fifth (up a fourth) and adds a flat. The inner ring gives each key’s relative minor.
How many sharps are in D major?
Two: F♯ and C♯. B minor, its relative, has the same key signature.
What is the relative minor of G major?
E minor. It sits three semitones below the major tonic and shares its one-sharp key signature (F♯).
Why is it called the circle of fifths?
Because going up a perfect fifth twelve times from any note passes through all twelve notes of the chromatic scale and returns to the starting note, seven octaves higher.
Pick a key in Jam Jam’s free online keyboard to see its scale on the keys and play it.