Learn the order of sharps first: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. The order of flats is the same list backwards.
Keys · signatures · harmony
Circle of Fifths – Interactive Chart with Sound
The circle of fifths arranges the twelve major keys so that each step clockwise adds one sharp and each step anticlockwise adds one flat. Click a key on this interactive circle to hear its chord, see its key signature on a treble staff, read its scale with correct note names and play the seven chords that belong to it. The inner ring holds each key’s relative minor, which shares the same key signature.
Interactive circle of fifthsChoose a key on the circle to hear its chord
Reference
Key signatures and chords in every key
Every major key and its relative minor, with the sharps or flats in the order they are written. Below it, the seven chords that belong to each of the twelve keys on the circle.
| Major key | Key signature | Accidentals | Relative minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | no sharps or flats | — | A minor |
| G major | 1 sharp | F♯ | E minor |
| D major | 2 sharps | F♯ C♯ | B minor |
| A major | 3 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ | F♯ minor |
| E major | 4 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | C♯ minor |
| B major | 5 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | G♯ minor |
| F♯ major | 6 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ | D♯ minor |
| C♯ major | 7 sharps | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ | A♯ minor |
| F major | 1 flat | B♭ | D minor |
| B♭ major | 2 flats | B♭ E♭ | G minor |
| E♭ major | 3 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ | C minor |
| A♭ major | 4 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | F minor |
| D♭ major | 5 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ | B♭ minor |
| G♭ major | 6 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ | E♭ minor |
| C♭ major | 7 flats | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ | A♭ minor |
Remember the order
Sharps: F, C, G, D, A, E, B. One way to remember it is “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle”.
Flats: B, E, A, D, G, C, F — the same letters backwards.
Name a key from its signature
With sharps, the key is one semitone above the last sharp: F♯, C♯ and G♯ end on G♯, so the key is A major.
With flats, the second-to-last flat names the key: B♭, E♭ and A♭ give E♭ major. F major, with a single flat, is the one to learn by heart.
| Key | I | ii | iii | IV | V | vi | vii° |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C major | C | Dm | Em | F | G | Am | Bdim |
| G major | G | Am | Bm | C | D | Em | F♯dim |
| D major | D | Em | F♯m | G | A | Bm | C♯dim |
| A major | A | Bm | C♯m | D | E | F♯m | G♯dim |
| E major | E | F♯m | G♯m | A | B | C♯m | D♯dim |
| B major | B | C♯m | D♯m | E | F♯ | G♯m | A♯dim |
| F♯ major | F♯ | G♯m | A♯m | B | C♯ | D♯m | E♯dim |
| D♭ major | D♭ | E♭m | Fm | G♭ | A♭ | B♭m | Cdim |
| A♭ major | A♭ | B♭m | Cm | D♭ | E♭ | Fm | Gdim |
| E♭ major | E♭ | Fm | Gm | A♭ | B♭ | Cm | Ddim |
| B♭ major | B♭ | Cm | Dm | E♭ | F | Gm | Adim |
| F major | F | Gm | Am | B♭ | C | Dm | Edim |
Upper-case numerals are major chords, lower-case are minor and ° marks the diminished chord on the seventh degree. The relative minor uses the same seven chords, starting from vi.
Start here
How to use circle of fifths
- Click or tap a major key on the outer ring, or a minor key on the inner ring.
- Read the key signature, scale and relative key in the panel beside the circle.
- Press Play chord, Play scale or Play progression to hear the key.
- Tap any of the seven chords to hear it, then open its chord page for the full shape.
- Use the left and right arrow keys to move one fifth at a time and watch the highlight follow.
Practise better
Beginner tips that make a difference
The three major chords you use most in any key sit side by side on the circle: the key itself, its neighbour clockwise (V) and its neighbour anticlockwise (IV).
Neighbouring keys share six of their seven notes, which is why moving one step round the circle is the smoothest change of key.
Practise one key a day: play its scale, then I–IV–V–I, and say each note name as you play it.
Good questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the circle of fifths?
It is a diagram of the twelve major keys in which each key is a perfect fifth above the one before it. Going clockwise from C adds one sharp to the key signature at each step; going anticlockwise adds one flat. The relative minor of each key sits on the inner ring.
How do you read the circle of fifths?
Start at C at the top, which has no sharps or flats. Each step clockwise, through G, D, A and E, adds a sharp; each step anticlockwise, through F, B♭, E♭ and A♭, adds a flat. At the bottom the two sides meet: F♯ major and G♭ major sound the same and are written two ways.
What is the order of sharps and flats?
Sharps are always added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Flats are added in the reverse order: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. A key with three sharps therefore has F♯, C♯ and G♯, and a key with two flats has B♭ and E♭.
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?
Count up to the sixth note of the major scale, or down three semitones from its root. The relative minor uses the same key signature: C major and A minor have no sharps or flats, and G major and E minor both have one sharp.
How does the circle of fifths help with chords?
A key’s I, IV and V chords are the key itself and its two neighbours on the outer ring. The three minor keys inside them give the ii, iii and vi chords. Together they are the six most common chords in a major key.