Free tool
The circle of fifths. Click a key for its signature, relative key and chords, and hear them.
C major
no sharps or flats
Relative minor: A minor
Chords in the key
- IC
- iiDm
- iiiEm
- IVF
- VG
- viAm
- vii°Bdim
Key signatures
Every major key, its relative minor and its sharps or flats, in order round the circle.
| Major | Relative minor | Signature | Accidentals |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | no sharps or flats | — |
| G major | E minor | 1 sharp | F♯ |
| D major | B minor | 2 sharps | F♯ C♯ |
| A major | F♯ minor | 3 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ |
| E major | C♯ minor | 4 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ |
| B major | G♯ minor | 5 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ |
| C♭ major | A♭ minor | 7 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ |
| F♯ major | D♯ minor | 6 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ |
| G♭ major | E♭ minor | 6 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ |
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | 5 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ |
| C♯ major | A♯ minor | 7 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ |
| A♭ major | F minor | 4 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ |
| E♭ major | C minor | 3 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ |
| B♭ major | G minor | 2 flats | B♭ E♭ |
| F major | D minor | 1 flat | B♭ |
How it works
01
Click a key
Major keys are on the outer ring, their relative minors on the inner ring. The small figure is the key signature: how many sharps or flats.
02
Read its neighbours
The keys either side are its IV and V, and the minors beside them its ii, iii and vi. Those six chords, highlighted, are the ones that belong to the key.
03
Hear the cadence
Play I–IV–V–I in the key, or i–iv–V–i in a minor key, to hear how the chords pull back home.
Questions
- What is the circle of fifths?
- The twelve keys arranged so that each one clockwise is a perfect fifth higher than the last and has one more sharp, or one fewer flat. Keys next to each other share all but one note, which is why music moves between them so easily.
- How do I find the relative minor?
- It's on the inner ring next to the major key, a minor third below the tonic (the sixth degree of the major scale). G major and E minor share a key signature: one sharp, F ♯.
- What's the order of sharps and flats?
- Sharps are added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B; flats in the reverse order, B, E, A, D, G, C, F. The last sharp is a semitone below the major tonic; the second-last flat is the tonic.
- Why do F♯ and G♭ share a slot?
- They are the same pitches spelled two ways: F♯ major has six sharps, G♭ major six flats. At the bottom of the circle the sharp and flat sides meet, so three slots carry two names.
- How do songwriters use it?
- To pick chords that fit (the key and its neighbours), to modulate smoothly to a neighbouring key, and to write progressions that move around the circle, like the ii–V–I of jazz or the circle progression vi–ii–V–I.
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Pick the key.
Then write in it.
Set a key in the SoundGen studio and the piano roll, chord track and AI parts all follow it.