Circle Of Fifths

                                        Circle of Fifths

So, what is the circle of fifths? 

The circle of fifths is a musical tool, which is a series of notes arranged in a circle.

It is a diagram that can be easily drawn out for reference for finding the key signatures in a scale. There are 12 tones of the chromatic scale (although there can be more, but are not usually written).

It creates a link of understanding when thinking of how notes and chords go together and the musical connection behind the method.

What is a Key Signature? 

A key signature is a combination of any several notes (sharps, flats and sometimes natural) collectively called a scale after the clef of each stave (Treble or Bass). When you hit the 8th note you're back to the start of the scale on the first note that you played, except the pitch is higher, indicating that you are now on an Octave higher. 

The Key signature is what points us to what major or minor key to play within the scale.

^^

What is a Stave? - A set of horizontal lines and four spaces in between that each represent a different musical note/pitch.

So, how does this work? For starters you're going to need to remember 2 important phrases:

• For Christmas Give Dad An Electric Blanket
• Blanket Explodes And Dad Gets Cold Feet

These help you to remember in what order the keys go round the circle.

Find your key, Eb (E Flat) for example:

Imagine a line is drawn between the F and B Flat. 

1. Always start from C ~ This is because C has no Sharps or Flats. 
2. Move clockwise round the circle to count the number of Sharps you will be using. 
3. Move Anticlockwise to count the number of Flats you will be using.
4. Then, once you know how many Sharps or Flats you're working with, you can count from either F (for sharps) or Bb (for flats) to know what keys it will have.

For Eb move anticlockwise from C to Eb ~ you should have counted 3 flats. Now you know how many flats you have! After, count  3 flats anticlockwise from Bb ~ You should have Bb, Eb, and Ab. Great! You know what flats you have for your stave.

Here is a video from class explaining the process:

What can you use the Circle of Fifths for?

1. To work out the notes in a scale as it reveals the key signature. 
2. To predict the next chord in a progression based on the arrangement of chords on the circle.
3. To choose notes or chords when improvising from those near each other on the circle
4. To understand why certain notes and chords "go together" and "sound right" in music.

To know where to plot your sharps and flats, you'll need to know where all the notes on the stave are (A,B,C,D,E,F,G, and repeat). For this you'll need to remember some more phrases!

For the treble clef:

• Every Good Boy Deserves Food - On the lines
• F A C E - Between the lines

For Bass clef:

• Great Big Dogs From Africa - On the lines
• All Cows Eat Grass - Between the lines

Remembering the Circle Of Fifths makes life so much easier, just do it (even if it means printing up a poster for your bedroom wall...or getting a tattoo).