The circle of fifths, interactive
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 major keys so each one is a perfect fifth above the last. Going clockwise from C, each key adds one sharp; going counterclockwise, each adds one flat. The relative minor keys sit on the inner ring. Tap any key to hear its main chords.
C major
No sharps or flats. Relative minor: A minor.
Each step clockwise adds a sharp (or removes a flat), and the new key is a perfect fifth above the last. Tap any key to hear its I, IV and V chords.
How the circle is built
Start at the top with C major, which has no sharps or flats. Go up a perfect fifth (7 half steps) from C and you reach G. G major has one sharp (F♯). Go up another fifth to D: D major has two sharps (F♯, C♯). Each step clockwise keeps the sharps you had and adds one more.
- G major adds F♯, its 7th note, one half step under G.
- D major adds C♯, its 7th note, one half step under D.
- A major adds G♯, its 7th note, one half step under A.
- E major adds D♯, its 7th note, one half step under E.
- B major adds A♯, its 7th note, one half step under B.
The new sharp is always the 7th note of the new key, the note that leads up to its home note. That is a handy check when you are writing out a scale.
The flat side
Go counterclockwise from C and each step goes down a fifth, which lands on the same note as going up a fourth. F major has one flat (B♭), B♭ major has two flats (B♭, E♭), and so on. This time the new flat is the 4th note of the new key.
- F major adds B♭, its 4th note.
- B♭ major adds E♭, its 4th note.
- E♭ major adds A♭, its 4th note.
- A♭ major adds D♭, its 4th note.
At the bottom of the circle the two sides meet. F♯ major (six sharps) and G♭ major (six flats) are the same notes on the keyboard, spelled differently. The site's key pages use the spelling most players see: F♯ major, D♭ major and B major.
Relative minors on the inner ring
Each major key shares its key signature with one minor key, called its relative minor. The relative minor starts on the 6th note of the major scale, three half steps below the major key's home note. On the circle it sits directly inside its major key: A minor inside C, E minor inside G, D minor inside F. Tap the inner ring above to hear a minor key's i, iv and V chords.
Using the circle to find chords
Pick any key on the outer ring. The key to its left is its IV chord and the key to its right is its V chord. For C, that is F on the left and G on the right, so the three main chords of C major are C, F and G.
Now look at the three minor keys directly inside those three slots. They are the other chords of the key: Dm, Em and Am are the ii, iii and vi chords of C major. So a slice three slots wide holds six of the seven chords of the key: F (IV), C (I), G (V), Dm (ii), Am (vi), Em (iii). The seventh chord, Bdim, is the diminished one that the circle leaves out.
This works for every key. For G major, the slice around G gives G, C, D, Am, Bm and Em. See the full sets on the keys page, or try them in the progression builder.
Changing key
Keys next to each other on the circle differ by only one note, so moving between them sounds smooth. A song in C that shifts to G only has to add F♯. That is why songs so often move to the key a fifth up (one step clockwise) or a fourth up (one step counterclockwise) for a bridge. Moving to the relative minor changes no notes at all, only the home chord. A jump across the circle, say from C to F♯, changes most of the notes and sounds dramatic.
The circle of fourths
Read counterclockwise, the same wheel is the circle of fourths: C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and on around. Each step is up a perfect fourth, and that is the direction chords most like to move. V goes to I, which is a step up a fourth. Chains of chords around the circle of fourths are everywhere in jazz and older pop, and the ii–V–I is three steps of it. Guitarists often practice a new chord shape in all twelve keys by going around the circle of fourths.
All 12 keys on the circle
Clock position, key signature, relative minor and the three main chords, computed for each key. Tap Play to hear I–IV–V–I.
| Position | Major key | Key signature | Relative minor | I – IV – V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 o'clock | C major | no sharps or flats | A minor | C – F – G | |
| 1 o'clock | G major | one sharp (F♯) | E minor | G – C – D | |
| 2 o'clock | D major | two sharps (F♯, C♯) | B minor | D – G – A | |
| 3 o'clock | A major | three sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯) | F♯ minor | A – D – E | |
| 4 o'clock | E major | four sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯) | C♯ minor | E – A – B | |
| 5 o'clock | B major also C♭ major (7 flats) | five sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯) | G♯ minor | B – E – F♯ | |
| 6 o'clock | F♯ major also G♭ major (6 flats) | six sharps (F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯) | D♯ minor (six sharps). E♭ minor, the enharmonic equivalent of D♯ minor (six flats). | F♯ – B – C♯ | |
| 7 o'clock | D♭ major also C♯ major (7 sharps) | five flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭) | B♭ minor | D♭ – G♭ – A♭ | |
| 8 o'clock | A♭ major | four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭) | F minor | A♭ – D♭ – E♭ | |
| 9 o'clock | E♭ major | three flats (B♭, E♭, A♭) | C minor | E♭ – A♭ – B♭ | |
| 10 o'clock | B♭ major | two flats (B♭, E♭) | G minor | B♭ – E♭ – F | |
| 11 o'clock | F major | one flat (B♭) | D minor | F – B♭ – C |
More: how to read key signatures · scales · the C major scale · chord progressions · music theory basics
Circle of fifths questions
What is the circle of fifths used for?
Finding key signatures, working out which chords belong together, finding a key's relative minor, and choosing keys to change to. The three chords next to each other on the outer ring are the I, IV and V of the middle one.
How do you memorize the circle of fifths?
The sharp keys run C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯: the same letters as the order of sharps (F C G D A E B), starting from C. The flat keys run F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭: the order of flats (B E A D G C F) with F moved to the front. One line some students use for the sharp keys is "Good Deeds Always Earn Blessings" (G, D, A, E, B).
Why is it called the circle of fifths?
Each key is a perfect fifth (7 half steps) above the one before it. After twelve steps you arrive back at the note you started on, so the keys close into a circle.
Where are the minor keys on the circle of fifths?
On the inner ring, each one under its relative major: A minor under C, E minor under G, D minor under F. A minor key has the same key signature as the major key next to it.
What is the circle of fourths?
The same circle read counterclockwise. Each step goes up a fourth (5 half steps), which is the direction chords like to resolve: G to C, C to F, F to B♭. Jazz players practice tunes and ii–V–I patterns around the circle of fourths.
Why do F♯ and G♭ share a spot?
They are the same keys on the piano, spelled two ways. F♯ major has six sharps and G♭ major has six flats. The circle meets itself there, which is why the bottom of the wheel shows two names.
Keys, signatures and chords on this page are computed by the site's theory engine. Updated September 2026.