circle of fifths order of sharps and flats

To play the C major scale, start on C and play all the white notes from this C to the next one. Let’s start with C major, which has no sharps or flats. Now you know the names of all twelve major keys! Major Scale Patternīut how do you actually play these keys on the piano? Fortunately, there’s a simple formula that answers that question! Keep jumping up by fifths until you’ve labeled all 12 ticks with a key signature. To find our three o’clock key, jump a fifth above D, and you’ll land on A, which means it will be A major. If we jump a perfect fifth above G, that lands us on D, which means our two o’clock key signature must be D major. Now, let’s find the next key signature at two o’clock. This explains why this diagram is called the circle of fifths. Why is this important? Each tick or key signature on the circle of fifths is a perfect fifth away from the previous one, so that means our key signature at one o’clock must be G major. This distance of seven half steps is called a perfect fifth. Start on C and go up seven half steps or semitones, and you should land on G. To visualize this, look at your piano or keyboard. How can we find what key signature this one is? Let’s jump to the next tick at one o’clock. This is our foundational key signature since it doesn’t contain any sharps or flats.

Each tick stands for one of the 12 major key signatures. Start by drawing a circle and placing twelve tick marks around it, just like a clock. Jump to:Įven though the circle of fifths was first created back in 1670, it’s still a powerful tool today! Let’s take a look at how the circle of fifths is structured.

You might be wondering if you should you be practicing major and minor scales on a regular basis? Find out in this article about why you should practice scales. The circle of fifths will teach you how key signatures are related, which will help you understand music and even compose your own pieces. Have you been confused by the circle of fifths? I’m going to show you why the circle of fifths isn’t a dusty old diagram it’s a fascinating visual representation of how music works.

Circle of fifths order of sharps and flats