Circle of fifths
Every key, arranged so that its closest relatives are its neighbours. Pick a key to see its signature, its relative and parallel minors, and the two keys either side of it.
Outer ring: major keys. Inner ring: their relative minors.
C major
No sharps or flats
Key signature of C major
- Relative
- Am
- Parallel
- Cm
- Subdominant (IV)
- F
- Dominant (V)
- G
Chords in this key
The key to the left is your subdominant and the key to the right is your dominant. I, IV and V are three neighbouring segments — that is what the circle is for.
Arrow keys move around the wheel; up and down switch between major and minor.
About this tool
The circle of fifths arranges the twelve keys so that the ones sharing the most notes sit next to each other. Move one step clockwise and the signature gains a sharp; one step anticlockwise and it gains a flat. That single fact explains why some key changes sound smooth and others sound like a jolt.
This one is interactive rather than a picture. Choose a key and it shows the signature, the relative minor that shares it, the parallel minor that does not, and the neighbours a piece is most likely to move to. You can hear each one instead of taking the diagram's word for it.
How to use it
- Click a key on the outer ring for major, the inner ring for minor.
- Read its signature, its relative minor and its parallel minor.
- Play the key to hear what the arrangement is actually claiming.
Questions
- What is the circle of fifths for?
- Finding out which keys are related, how many sharps or flats a key has, and where a piece is likely to modulate. It is the fastest way to answer all three without memorising a table.
- How do I find the relative minor of a key?
- It is three semitones below the major root and shares the same signature — A minor for C major, E minor for G major. Select any key here and the relative minor is named for you.
- Why does B major have five sharps and C flat major seven flats?
- They are the same sounding key spelled two ways, and the circle shows where the spellings cross over. Which one a piece uses depends on where it came from and where it is going.