Here are some ideas to help you learn the circle of fifths on your instrument. If you’re feeling convinced that learning the circle of fifths will benefit your music, you might be looking for an effective way to practice it.Īfter all, you won’t have a visual infographic in hand at all times while playing music!Īs I mentioned before, you can always work out the circle of fifths if you sit down at a piano and move through it deliberately.īut if you want to know it cold, you’ll need to incorporate it into your practice routine. You’ll end up with F#, C# and G#-same as the relative major key of A major! How to practice the circle of fifths To find the signature, move clockwise on the circle by three steps adding sharps each time. That means that if you arrange the minor keys around the circle the same way beginning on A, you can easily find the key signatures.įor example, take the key of F# minor. The same holds true for the rest of the relative minors. These keys share the same key signature that contains no accidentals. In C major, that means that A minor is the relative minor key. Simply follow the key signature of the major key and count up six scale degrees to find its relative minor. In this article I’ll explain what it is, how it works, and how it can help you make music. In fact, all you really need to know is the basics to get started with the circle of fifths. But that doesn’t mean it has to be confusing or difficult. With such a practical concept, it takes a bit of background to understand it right. It will help you remember key signatures, situate yourself on your instrument and unlock creativity with chords and progressions. The term might sound like a dry music theory lesson, but the circle of fifths is one of the most useful concepts to learn in music. The circle of fifths is your road map to the twelve musical keys.

5.Transposition in Music: How to Change a Song’s Key.

4.Relative Minor: How to Find Any Minor Scale.

3.Circle of Fifths: What It Is and How to Use It in Your Songwriting.

2.How to Find the Key of a Song: The Two Best Methods.

1.Key Signatures: How Keys Work in Music.

Click here to start from the beginning or simply just keep on reading. This is lesson is step 3 / 5 of a LANDR Lesson Plan.

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