The Basics of Music Theory: Circle of Fifths


Learning the notes on the fretboard is pretty easy for guitarists. But what isn’t so easy is learning the circle of fifths. Many guitarists are confused by the circle of fifths and usually do not go further in their study of music theory because of how difficult this concept is. While the circle of fifths may be confusing, it really isn’t that hard to grasp, provided it is explained in a clear manner. That’s the whole purpose of this lesson. After reading this lesson, you should be able to understand the circle of fifths and progress onto more complex elements of Music Theory.

What is the Circle of Fifths?

The circle of fifths is basically an organization of notes/chords. Using the Circle of Fifths, you can construct hundreds of different chords. Believe it or not, but it will actually help you to put together chord patterns that actually make sense from a musical standpoint. Here’s the circle of fifths:

        

                         C 

                     F       G 

                 Bb              D 

              Eb                    A 

                 Ab              E

                     Db      B

                         Gb

Study the circle closely and try to learn it note for note. If you have to, print out this lesson so you can have the circle of fifths at hand at all times. You may even want to write out the circle of fifths several times to aid in memorizing it. One pre-requisite to learning the circle of fifths and making it useful in your playing is to first know the notes on the fretboard. If you don’t know these already, please check out part 1 of the Basics of Music Theory, which focuses on the notes on the fretboard.

How the Circle of Fifths Applies to Your Playing

As I previously said, the circle of fifths is so useful because it allows you to instantly create chord progressions that make sense and have the same feel. Let’s learn how to apply this to chords.

 

                         C 

                     F       G 

                 Bb              D 

              Eb                    A 

                 Ab              E

                     Db      B

                         Gb

Let’s say you’re playing the E major chord and want to play a chord that keeps the same feel of the E major. Using the circle of fifths, you can find out exactly what chord is best. In this case, the best chord to use would be the A. To test this theory, play an E major chord. Then switch to the A major chord. If you listen, you’ll notice that the two chords seem to fit together.

Look at the circle again. You’ll see that C, G and D are all together. As you’ve probably learned from playing various songs, these three chords are commonly paired together. It really is no accident, as, according to the circle of fifths, they go together. The same can be said for A, E and B—if you play these three chords together, it will sound good.

You’ve probably noticed that there are also flat notes (Gb, Db, Ab, Eb, Bb). Don’t be scared off by these, as they really represent minor chords or major flatted chords. As the circle indicates, minor chords like Gb and Db go together, while minor chords like Ab, Eb, and Bb all go together. Just like the major chords on the right side of the circle.

You can apply these concepts to any chords you learn, whether they are Seventh or Ninth chords. Try it and you’ll find that you are able to compose good chord progressions just by using the circle of fifths.