MUSC 101 Music Fundamentals - Spring 2012

Unit 13 Reading - Circle of Fifths

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Circle of Fifths

In the circle of fifths diagram each note is a perfect fifth (seven half steps) away from its immediate neighbors. You can move through the circle of fifths in two directions, clockwise and counter clockwise. If you start at any point on the circle and move clockwise or counter clockwise through 12 consecutive fifths, you’ll end back at your starting note and will have used all 12 chromatic pitches in the process.

Clockwise Motion

Clockwise motion moves through a series of ascending perfect fifths.

When written on a single staff clockwise motion may be written as a series of ascending perfect fifths alternating with their inversion, descending perfect fourths

Counter Clockwise Motion

Counter clockwise motion moves through a series of descending perfect fifths.

When written on a single staff, counter clockwise motion moves through a series of descending perfect fifths alternating with their inversion, ascending perfect fourths.

Applications of the Circle of Fifths

• The names of major and minor scales in the order of increasing numbers of sharps follows the ascending circle of fifths.
• The names of major and minor scales in the order of increasing numbers of flats follows the descending circle of fifths.
• The order that the sharps are added to scales follows the ascending circle of fifths.
• The order that the flats are added to scales follows the descending circle of fifths.
• The order that sharps occur in the key signature is based on the ascending circle of fifths.
• The order that flats occur in the key signature is based on the descending circle of fifths.
• Chord motion is often based on the circle of fifths.

Major Scales Using Sharps

The names of the major sharp scales follow the ascending circle of fifths: C G D A E B F# C#

Major Scale Name	Number of Sharps	Scale
C	0
G	1
D	2
A	3
E	4
B	5
F#	6
C#	7

Major Scales Using Flats

The names of the major flat scales follow the descending circle of fifths: C F Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb

Major Scale Name	Number of Flats	Scale
C	0
F	1
Bb	2
Eb	3
Ab	4
Db	5
Gb	6
Cb	7

Minor Scales Using Sharps

The names of the minor sharp scales follow the ascending circle of fifths: a e b f# c# g# d# a#

Minor Scale Name	Number of Sharps	Scale
A	0
E	1
B	2
F#	3
C#	4
G#	5
D#	6
A#	7

Minor Scales Using Flats

The names of the minor flat scales follow the ascending circle of fifths: a d g c f bb eb ab

Minor Scale Name	Number of Flats	Scale
A	0
D	1
G	2
C	3
F	4
Bb	5
Eb	6
Ab	7

Sharp Order In Scales

As the number of sharps used in each scale increases, the sharps used in previous scales remain in effect. The order that the new sharps are added follows the ascending circle of fifths: F# C# G# D# A# E# B#. The order of sharps in minor scales follows the same pattern.

Flat Order In Scales

As the number of Flats used in each scale increases, the flats used in previous scales remain in effect. The order that the new flats are added follows the descending circle of fifths: Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb. The order of flats in minor scales follows the same pattern.

[Overview] [Syllabus]

Revised by John Ellinger, Spring 2012.