The Circle of Fourths and Fifths

Introduction

This post is the accompanying material for the Circle of Fourths and Fifths workshop at the Plucking Strummers meetup of January 25, 2025.

During that session we learned about the Circle of Fifths and how to use it for practical purposes.

Hopefully, this post will help you start understanding how useful it is and that you’ll be curious enough to continue unlocking more of its mysteries.

What is the Circle of Fifths? (and Fourths)

The Circle of Fifths is a diagram consisting of 3 circles for understanding music theory, including scales, chords and relationships between chords.

Historically it’s thought to have been created by Pythagoras and his band of Pythagoreans in 660-ish BCE. Pythagoras is also credited with the discovery of the 12 tone system that we are accustomed to in the Western world. The 12 keys in Western Music are all located on the Circle of Fifths. Even though we all it the “Circle of Fifths,” it’s actually the Circle of Fourths and Fifths” but somewhere down the line when it was being revised and modernized, the name was shortened.

Level Set – Music Theory 101

  1. Let us level set on a few things before we start. Ordinarily if you were learning this in music school you would’ve had a huge course on intervals before learning the Circle of Fifths. An interval is just a defined set of steps between two notes.
  2. A scale has 7 notes. the 8th note is a repeat of the root note.
    Example: abcdefg abcdefg abcdefg
  3. In a scale, there are are patterns of whole steps(W) and half steps(H) based on whether it is a major scale or minor scale. Every scale begins with a root note(R)
    Here’s the Pattern for Major Scales:
    R WWHWWWH Example: C- D EF G A BC
    Here’s the Pattern for Major Scales:
    R WHWWHWW = Example: A- BC D EF G A
    On a Ukulele, a whole step equals 2 frets. A half step is 1 fret.
  4. Every scale has 7 chords. There are 3 major chords, 3 minor chords and a 7th chord (which is a type of minor chord.)
    The 1,4, and 5 are major chords and the 2, 3, and 6 are minor chords. The 7th is atype of minor chord. They are always noted with roman numerals as shown here:

Building the Circles

The Circle of Fifths is actually 3 circles. Follow the instructions below to draw them. Drawing them will help you remember it a bit better than just printing one out.

First Circle

  1. Draw a circle and place 12 notches on it, similar to a clock face.
  2. At the top of the circle write the letter “C”. This represents the first tone. Moving clockwise write the notes corresponding to the 5th step in the sequence. Your hand is a great way to count and visualize the numbers. Starting with “C” count 5 steps… 1,2,3,4,5… That is the letter “G”. Write that down.

Continue this process until you get to the 5th notch on the circle (B).

  1. Go back up to “C” and start counting counterclockwise 4 steps at a time. C,D,E,F. Write an “F” at the first mark left of the “C”.
    From the “F” count 4 steps counterclockwise… F,G,A,B. Write a B next to that mark. Since this is the flat side of the circle, and since we already have a”B” on the other side of the circle, you must add a “flat” mark to the rest of the notes on the left side, as shown below. Continue counting 4 steps at a time, until you get to Db.

4. Enharmonics

The last 3 spots on the circle, represent “enharmonics.” These spots are for notes that have 2 different names for the same note.
1. B/Cb
2. Gb/F#
3. Db/C#

Second Circle

Outside of the first circle, let’s determine which notes in each scale are flats(b) and sharps(#). There are a couple of ways to determine this but let’s use the circle figure it out.

Starting clockwise from C… G has 1 sharp, D has 2 sharps, A has 3 sharps, E has 3 sharps, B has 5 sharps, F# has 6 sharps.

Starting counter clockwise from C… F has 1 flat, Bflat has 2 flats, Eflat has 3flats, Aflat has 4 flats, Dflat has 5 flats Gflat has 6 flats.


But which notes are flat and sharp? This video explains one way of figuring it out.

Third Circle

The interior circle is reserved for the Relative Minor scales/chords for each Major scale/chord. (The circle of fifths can be referenced as notes, scales or chords depending on how you are using it.)

A scale that is a Relative Minor simply means that it has the same notes as its Relative Major chord. To get the relative minor for each major chord select the 6th note in the major scale. That is the relative minor chord. The 6th note of a C scale is A so it’s relative minor is A minor. Let’s put that below C to start the third circle.

Another way is to count 3 steps from the note clockwise on the circle to get the relative minor. Watch the video below.

Using the Circle of Fourths and Fifths

Now that you have completed drawing the circle, what can we do with it? Here are a few things, but the more you study the circle of fifths, the more you will learn tips and tricks.

  1. Find the family of chords for each key.
  2. Find the major and minor chords for each key
  3. Find the notes for each chord
  4. Find the notes for each scale
  5. Understand which chord sequences work well together
  6. Transpose music
  7. Explore music and music theory (Blow your mind, and have fun.)

Find the Family of Chords for Each Key (Diatonic Chords)

As we mentioned above, the Major chords in a key are 1,4, and 5. Minor chords are 2,3,6. The 7th chord is a special type of minor chord.
Let’s start by finding the family of chords for the key of C.

  1. C is the 1 chord.
  2. Next to it, 4 steps counterclockwise is the F chord.
  3. The 5 chord is clockwise next to the C, which is the G chord.
  4. Below the C is the Am chord which is the 6th
  5. To the left of the Am is the 2nd or Dm chord
  6. The the right of the Am is the 3rd or Em chord
  7. Right of the Em, is Bm or the 7th chord.

    Use this process to find any family of chords for each key.

Find the Major and Minor Chords for Each Key

As we just illustrated above, these are the major and minor keys based on their numbers within the key.

1,4,5 = Major
2,3,6, = Minor
7th chord is a type of minor but has special circumstances. (The 7th note of the root scale is added to the chord.)

Find the Notes for Each Chord

For major scales. Select the root, and move one space clockwise and select notes from the inner and outer rings.

For minor chords, select the key from the inner ring, then pick note from outer ring then move clockwise one space and select note from inner ring.

Watch this video demonstration.

Find the Notes for Each Scale

Here are a couple of screenshots from Jim D’Ville’s Circle of Fifths DVD. You use the R-WWHWWH process of skipping steps.

Whole steps are always on the circle itself, while half steps must cross the circle. Once you have this diagram in place, all you need to do is rotate it to find the notes for any scale.

C Scale Notes
G Scale Notes

Understand which Chords Sequences Sound Good Together

As described above. Any chord within a family of a keys will work well together because of their close proximity to one another. Once you know the rules, however, feel free to break them. Many film scores purposely use chords to communicate fear, terror, etc.

Transpose Music

The process for transposing music is fairly easy and works for both notes and chords. Watch the video below as Gracie Terzian explains the process.

Explore Sound and Music Theory (Have Fun)

There are a number of ways that artists are exploring the circle of fifths using math. Here’s an interesting YouTube channel that explored creating sound sequences using polygons.

Conclusion

The Circle of Fourths and Fifths deserves exploration and can help you quickly learn music theory as well as unlock your ukulele fretboard. Explore all the videos above for more tips and tricks.

Have fun!