The short version
- The circle of fifths puts all 12 keys in a ring, each one a perfect fifth (seven semitones) above the last: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F, and back to C.
- Going clockwise adds a sharp; going anticlockwise adds a flat. C major is at the top with none.
- The inner ring shows each relative minor. A minor shares C major’s notes; E minor shares G major’s.
- A key’s chords sit right next to it. Take the key and its two neighbours in both rings, and you have six of its seven chords (I, IV, V, ii, iii, vi).
- Tap any key above to see its key signature, scale and chords, hear them, and send it to the chord progression generator.
How to use the interactive circle of fifths
- Tap a key on the wheel. Outer ring for major keys, inner ring for minor. It plays the key’s home chord.
- Read the panel: the key signature, the seven notes of the scale and the seven chords, with Roman numerals.
- Tap any chord to hear it, or press “Play I–V–vi–IV” to hear the progression behind roughly half of all pop songs.
- Explore the neighbours. The dominant, subdominant, relative and parallel keys are one tap away. Great for planning a key change.
- Press “Build a progression in this key” to open the chord progression generator in the same key, then turn it into a Suno prompt.
Key signatures on the circle of fifths
Every major key and its relative minor share one key signature. Here they all are, going clockwise from the top. (At the bottom, F♯ and G♭ are the same notes spelled two ways. Music is like that.)
| Major key | Relative minor | Signature | Sharps or flats |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | 0 | — |
| G major | E minor | 1♯ | F♯ |
| D major | B minor | 2♯ | F♯ C♯ |
| A major | F♯ minor | 3♯ | F♯ C♯ G♯ |
| E major | C♯ minor | 4♯ | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ |
| B major | G♯ minor | 5♯ | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ |
| F♯ major | D♯ minor | 6♯ | F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ |
| G♭ major | E♭ minor | 6♭ | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ |
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | 5♭ | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ |
| A♭ major | F minor | 4♭ | B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ |
| E♭ major | C minor | 3♭ | B♭ E♭ A♭ |
| B♭ major | G minor | 2♭ | B♭ E♭ |
| F major | D minor | 1♭ | B♭ |
Remember the order of sharps and flats. Sharps go F C G D A E B: “Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle”. Flats are the same backwards, B E A D G C F: “Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles’ Father”. My version is “Fat Cats Go Down Alleys Eating Burgers”, and I stand by it.
How the circle of fifths works
Each step clockwise goes up a perfect fifth, which is seven semitones, or the distance from C to G. Keys next to each other on the circle share six of their seven notes, so they sound closely related. Keys on opposite sides (C and F♯, say) share only two, which is why jumping between them sounds dramatic.
- Clockwise = up a fifth = one more sharp (or one fewer flat).
- Anticlockwise = up a fourth = one more flat. That’s why some people call it the circle of fourths when they go the other way.
- The key to the right is the dominant (V); the key to the left is the subdominant (IV).
- Inside each major key is its relative minor, three semitones lower, with exactly the same notes.
How to find the chords in any key
This is the circle’s best party trick. Pick a major key. The key itself is chord I, the one clockwise is V, and the one anticlockwise is IV. The three minor keys directly inside those are ii, vi and iii. The only chord missing is the diminished vii°, which the panel shows for you. So in C major: C, F and G on the outside, Dm, Am and Em on the inside, plus Bdim.
| Key | Chords: 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 |
| F major | F – Gm – Am – B♭ – C – Dm – Edim |
| B♭ major | B♭ – Cm – Dm – E♭ – F – Gm – Adim |
| E♭ major | E♭ – Fm – Gm – A♭ – B♭ – Cm – Ddim |
In a minor key the pattern is i – ii° – III – iv – v – VI – VII. Lots of songs borrow a major V in minor (E major in A minor, for example) because it pulls home harder. It’s the musical equivalent of a dramatic pause.
Using the circle of fifths for songwriting
- Write a progression that just works: pick any chords from the highlighted family. I–V–vi–IV, vi–IV–I–V and I–vi–IV–V are all hiding in there.
- Move anticlockwise for that “going home” feel. Chains like E–A–D–G (each a fifth down) power jazz, Motown and loads of rock.
- Change key smoothly by moving one step round the circle. A jump across the circle is a big dramatic shift; use it once, and make it count.
- Borrow from the parallel key, for example a B♭ or an Fm in C major, for a bittersweet twist.
- Guitar-friendly keys live near the top-right: C, G, D, A and E, plus their relative minors.
Circle of fifths for Suno prompts
Suno listens to keys and chords in your style prompt, at least some of the time. Pick a key here, try the progression, and put both in your prompt. If the song needs to suit a singer, check their comfortable range with the vocal range test first.
Heartfelt acoustic pop in G major, 92 BPM, chord progression G – D – Em – C, fingerpicked acoustic guitar, warm piano, soft brushed drums, intimate male vocals, hopeful, nostalgic
Why I built this
I'm a guitarist: a Cort, a lot of enthusiasm, roughly twelve notes. For years the circle of fifths was a poster on a music-shop wall that I nodded at respectfully and did not understand. Then someone showed me the trick: “your chords are the ones next to your key”. Suddenly I could write a progression in any key without a chart.
So this one doesn’t just sit there being circular. Tap a key and it shows the chords, plays them, spells every note properly (yes, F♯ major has an E♯, I’m sorry), and hands the key to the progression generator, so you go from theory to a song in two taps.
How it works, and what it does with your data
The wheel is drawn as SVG in your browser, and the theory is worked out from note letters, so every scale and chord is spelled the way a music teacher would want. Chords and scales are synthesised by the Web Audio API; no audio files are downloaded. The selected key is saved in the page address so you can share it. Nothing is recorded or uploaded, and there’s no account.
Circle of fifths FAQ
What is the circle of fifths?
A diagram of all 12 musical keys in a circle, each a perfect fifth above the one before: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯, D♭, A♭, E♭, B♭, F. It shows key signatures, relative minors and which keys and chords are closely related.
How do you read the circle of fifths?
Start at C major at the top. Each step clockwise adds one sharp to the key signature, and each step anticlockwise adds one flat. The inner ring shows each key’s relative minor, which has the same notes.
How do I find the chords in a key with the circle of fifths?
In a major key, the key itself is chord I, the key clockwise is V and the key anticlockwise is IV. The three minor keys inside them are vi, iii and ii. Add the diminished vii° and you have all seven chords.
What is a relative minor?
The minor key that shares exactly the same notes and key signature as a major key. It starts three semitones below the major key: A minor for C major, E minor for G major.
Why is it called the circle of fifths?
Because each neighbouring key is a perfect fifth (seven semitones) apart, and after 12 fifths you arrive back where you started. Read anticlockwise, it becomes a circle of fourths.
What is the order of sharps and flats?
Sharps are added in the order F C G D A E B (Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle). Flats are added in the reverse order: B E A D G C F.
Why are F♯ and G♭ in the same place?
They are enharmonic: the same notes on a piano, spelled two different ways. F♯ major has six sharps and G♭ major has six flats. This tool lets you switch between the two spellings.
Can I hear the chords?
Yes. Tap any chord in the panel to hear it, press Play scale for the scale, or play the I–V–vi–IV progression in the selected key. Everything is synthesised in your browser.
Got your key? Now write the song
The free Paddy Prompt Studio builds Suno style prompts and Vidmuse video scripts. Pick a genre, mood and vocal and it writes the style line for you.
Open the Prompt Studio →