Circle of Fifths
What is the Circle of Fifths?
The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool showing how the 12 musical keys relate to each other. Moving clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth higher (7 semitones). Moving counter-clockwise, each key is a perfect fourth higher.
Adjacent keys share most of the same chords, making them easy to transition between. The inner ring shows relative minors - each minor key shares the same notes as its adjacent major key.
Tip: Keys on opposite sides of the circle sound most different from each other (like C and F#).
Note on chord names: Some chord names may look different than expected due to enharmonic equivalents - notes that sound the same but have different names (like D# and Eb). For example, in G#m the V chord is D# (a perfect fifth above G#), even though you might expect to see Eb. Both are correct - they're the same pitch spelled differently.
Click on the circle to select a key
Strumming Pattern
The "Old Faithful" - works with almost any song