About the Interactive Circle of Fifths
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 major keys so that each step clockwise adds one sharp (or removes one flat) and each step counter-clockwise adds one flat. This interactive version lets you click any key and instantly see its key signature, the notes of its scale, its relative minor or major, its parallel key, its neighbouring dominant and subdominant keys, and the seven chords that belong to it.
It is built for students learning key signatures, songwriters looking for chords that fit together, and players who want to know which keys are "close" for a modulation. Keys next to each other on the circle share six of their seven notes, which is why moving to the dominant or subdominant key sounds smooth.
Every note and chord is spelled correctly for the key (for example F major uses B♭, never A♯). Minor keys show the natural minor scale and its diatonic chords; in practice many minor-key songs raise the seventh degree to make the V chord major, as explained below.
How to use the interactive circle of fifths
- 1Click a key on the circle (outer ring = major, inner ring = minor), or pick it from the list.
- 2Read the key signature and the notes of the scale.
- 3Use the diatonic chord list to write or analyse a progression.
- 4Check the relative, dominant and subdominant keys for smooth modulations.
Formula and method
Starting from C major (no sharps or flats), moving up a perfect fifth to G adds one sharp (F♯), D adds a second (C♯), and so on. Sharps always appear in the order F C G D A E B and flats in the reverse order B E A D G C F, so knowing a key's position on the circle tells you its whole key signature.
Each major key shares its signature with a relative minor whose tonic is three semitones (a minor third) lower, e.g. G major and E minor. The diatonic chords follow the pattern I ii iii IV V vi vii° in major and i ii° III iv v VI VII in natural minor; the tool builds them by stacking thirds from each scale note and spelling each note with consecutive letter names.
- I, IV, V
- Major chords on scale degrees 1, 4 and 5 (upper-case = major)
- ii, iii, vi
- Minor chords (lower-case = minor)
- °
- Diminished chord
Worked examples
G major
G is one step clockwise from C, so it has one sharp, F♯. Stacking thirds on each scale note gives G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F♯°. Its relative minor is E minor, three semitones below G.
E♭ major
E♭ is three steps counter-clockwise from C, so it takes the first three flats: B♭, E♭ and A♭. The relative minor is C minor and the parallel minor (same tonic) is E♭ minor, which has six flats.
B minor
B minor shares its two sharps with D major. Its natural-minor chords are Bm, C♯°, D, Em, F♯m, G and A; songs often swap F♯m for F♯ (major) to strengthen the pull back to Bm.
Frequently asked questions
How do you read the circle of fifths?+
Go clockwise from C to add sharps (G has 1, D has 2, A has 3…) and counter-clockwise to add flats (F has 1, B♭ has 2, E♭ has 3…). The inner ring shows each major key's relative minor, which uses the same key signature.
What is the order of sharps and flats?+
Sharps are always added in the order F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ ("Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle"); flats in the reverse order B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ ("Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father").
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?+
Count down three semitones (a minor third) from the major tonic, or take the sixth note of the major scale. C major → A minor, G major → E minor, F major → D minor. Both keys share the same key signature.
How do songwriters use the circle of fifths?+
The chords I, IV and V of any key sit next to each other on the circle, and its three minor chords (ii, iii, vi) are the relative minors of those keys. Progressions that move around the circle, like vi–ii–V–I, sound strongly resolved.
Why are there 15 key signatures but only 12 keys?+
Three pairs of keys are enharmonic: B = C♭, F♯ = G♭ and C♯ = D♭. They sound identical on a piano but are written differently, so the circle shows 12 positions with two spellings at the bottom.