Interactive Circle of Fifths
A working chart of every key's tonal relationships. Tap a sector to see its key signature, scale, relative minor, and the chords that build progressions in that key.
What is the circle of fifths?
The circle of fifths is a visualization of the twelve major and twelve minor keys, arranged so each step clockwise raises the tonic by a perfect fifth. The outer ring shows major keys; the inner ring shows their relative minors, which share the same key signature. Musicians use it to memorize key signatures, find chords that fit a key, transpose songs, and modulate smoothly between related keys.
Drag to rotate · Tap a sector to select
How to read the circle
- Identify the key. Each outer sector is a major key; the inner sector beside it is its relative minor (same notes, different tonal center).
- Read the key signature. The number in the center disc tells you how many sharps or flats the key has — moving clockwise adds a sharp, counter-clockwise adds a flat.
- Build a I-IV-V progression. The selected key's tonic (I) sits at the top; its IV chord is one sector counter-clockwise, and its V chord is one sector clockwise. Three of the most-used chords in Western music.
- Transpose by rotating. To move a song into a new key, rotate the wheel and read the same diatonic positions — the chord shapes stay the same, only the names change.
Major and relative minor pairs
Each major key shares a key signature with one minor key. They use the same seven notes but feel completely different — the listener's ear hears the tonic, not the notes.
| Major | Relative minor | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C | Am | — |
| G | Em | 1♯ |
| D | Hm | 2♯ |
| A | Fism | 3♯ |
| E | Cism | 4♯ |
| H / Ces | Gism / Asm | 5♯ / 7♭ |
| Fis / Ges | Dism / Esm | 6♯ / 6♭ |
| Des | Bm | 5♭ |
| As | Fm | 4♭ |
| Es | Cm | 3♭ |
| B | Gm | 2♭ |
| F | Dm | 1♭ |
Frequently asked
What is the circle of fifths?
The circle of fifths is a diagram showing the relationships between the twelve tones of the Western chromatic scale, organized so that each step clockwise raises the pitch by a perfect fifth. Each position on the circle is also a key, and the diagram makes it easy to see which keys are closely related (adjacent), how many sharps or flats each key has, and how to transpose chord progressions.
How do you read the circle of fifths?
Start at C at the top, which has zero sharps or flats. Moving clockwise adds one sharp per step (G has 1♯, D has 2♯, and so on). Moving counter-clockwise adds one flat per step (F has 1♭, B♭ has 2♭). The inner ring shows each major key's relative minor — the minor key with the same key signature.
Why is the circle of fifths useful?
Three reasons. First, it shows you which chords sound 'natural' together: the I, IV, and V chords of any key sit next to each other on the circle. Second, it helps with modulation — moving to a neighboring key on the circle is a smooth, common transition. Third, it makes transposing a song to a new key trivial, because the chord relationships stay the same; only the names rotate.
How are major and minor keys related on the circle?
Each major key and its relative minor share a key signature and use the same seven notes. C major and A minor both have no sharps or flats; G major and E minor both have one sharp. The relative minor sits a minor third below the major (or three semitones), which is why the inner ring is offset from the outer ring on the wheel.
