Circle of Fifths
The circle of fifths is a visual map of all 24 keys — 12 major and 12 minor. It shows how keys relate to each other through perfect fifths, and reveals which chords naturally belong together in any key.
What is the circle of fifths?
The circle of fifths is a diagram that arranges all 12 major and 12 minor keys in a circle, ordered by perfect fifths. Moving clockwise adds one sharp to the key signature; moving counterclockwise adds one flat. The top of the circle starts at C major (no sharps or flats), the most neutral key.
Major keys appear on the outer ring and their relative minor keys on the inner ring. Relative keys share the same key signature — for example, C major and A minor both have no sharps or flats.
How to use the circle of fifths
The circle of fifths is one of the most useful tools in music theory. Here are the three most common ways to use it:
- Remember key signatures. The top of the circle shows C major with no sharps or flats. Each step clockwise adds a sharp; each step counterclockwise adds a flat. After 12 steps you return to C.
- Write chord progressions. The three major and three minor chords within any quarter of the circle belong to the same key and sound good together. This is why I–IV–V and vi–IV–I–V progressions work so well.
- Transpose music. Place the chords of a song on the circle, then rotate the pattern to move the entire song to a different key. The relationships between chords stay the same.
Click any key on the interactive circle above to see its seven diatonic chords with Roman numeral analysis. Each chord links to its full page in our chord dictionary.
Key signatures explained
Every key has a key signature — the collection of sharps or flats at the start of each staff. The circle of fifths makes it easy to remember them:
- Sharp keys (clockwise from C): G (1♯), D (2♯), A (3♯), E (4♯), B (5♯), F♯ (6♯). The sharps are added in order: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯.
- Flat keys (counterclockwise from C): F (1♭), B♭ (2♭), E♭ (3♭), A♭ (4♭), D♭ (5♭), G♭ (6♭). The flats are added in order: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭.
- Enharmonic keys at the bottom: F♯ major and G♭ major sound identical but are written differently. The same applies to D♯/E♭ minor.
Roman numeral chords in every key
Each key has seven diatonic chords built from the notes of its scale. The Roman numeral system describes their function:
- Uppercase numerals (I, IV, V) represent major chords.
- Lowercase numerals (ii, iii, vi) represent minor chords.
- Lowercase with ° (vii°) represents a diminished chord.
In a major key the seven chords are: I – ii – iii – IV – V – vi – vii°. In a minor key they are: i – ii° – III – iv – v – VI – VII. Click any key on the circle to see its exact chords.