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The circle of fifths is a diagram which shows all the major and minor keys with their key signatures and how they all

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the outside of the circle are the key signatures & (how
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bottom of the diagram there are 3 keys that have alternative names ie. F# major/Gb major.

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equivalent, they are the same pitch, butwdifferent note names.
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MUSIC www.dsmusic.com Page 1 & 2014w
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Circle of Fifths Guitar Chord Chart
Here is a diagram of the circle of fifths complete with guitar chord diagrams and the relative minor keys.

1
x x 2
1 1 3
2 1
3 2 3

C
x
1
x
F a min G x x

1 2
2 3 4
d min e min
3

Bb g min b min D
x x x
6 1

2 3 4 Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A 1 2 3

4 1 1 1 Ab f min c# min
E 2 3
1

2
bb / a# min ab / g# min
3 4
Db eb / d# min B
C# Cb
Gb F#
x x x x

4 1
1
2 3 4 x x
2 3 4
1 1
2
3

Key
1 Finger number & placement on string
x Do not play this string
Open string - play string with no fingers
1 1 1 Place finger flat across (barre) the strings
R

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Circle of Fifths Guitar Chord Progressions
The circle of fifths is really useful for finding the primary chords I, IV & V in a key. Working clockwise, if you pick any
key and find it in the circle, this is your chord I, then the note before it is your chord IV and the note after it is chord V.
This works for both major and minor keys. For example:

E major - Chord I = E, Chord IV = A, Chord V = B

b minor - Chord i = b, Chord iv = e, Chord V = F#

C
Using this chart choose any major key and work
out chords I, IV and V in that key, then find the
F G
a min
3 relative minor chords and play around with
d min e min
moving between these 6 chords - they should all
work really well together. For example in the key Bb D
of C, try using C major, F major, G major, a minor, g min b min
d minor & e minor. You could also use these for
transposing within a composition because these
would be the most popular new keys to move to
and then when you are in your new key then you Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A
will get your new set of I, IV & V.

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

The circle of fifths is also very useful if you are using a lot of chord V to chord I chord progressions (or even dominant
7th chords), because if you are playing a chord I, then all you have to do to find the chord V is move forward one
(clockwise) on the circle. For example if you were playing a chord I in D Major, so a D chord, then to find your chord
V, move forward one around the circle to A, this would be your chord V. This also works vice versa. If you are on a
chord V and want to find chord I simply move back one on the circle, so if you were playing a B chord and this was
your chord V, then to find chord I move back one in the circle to E.
ii
V C
It is also really easy to find a ii-V-I chord
progression (this is a very common chord F G
progression). If you take any 3 notes next to each a min
other, then take the last one and work d min e min
anti-clockwise then they are the 3 chords for your I
ii-V-I progression, with the last chord (chord I) Bb b min
D
being your key. This example is the ii-V-I
g min
progression for Bb major:

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
R Gb F#

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Using the Circle of Fifths to find Guitar Scales

1
C 4
There are many patterns, sequences and F G
relationships in the circle of fifths. Lets take the a min
major pentatonic scale. If you are working out the d min e min
major pentatonic scale from the major scale the 2
construction is 1, 2, 3, 5, 6.so to work out Bb b min
D
C major pentatonic, we would use C major and g min
use the construction just mentioned which gives
us the scale - C, D, E, G, A - now lets look at
this on the circle: Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A 5

Ab f min c# min E
3
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

C 1
Now you know the pattern you can simply F G
transpose this by using the same pattern, but a min
starting on the new tonic (1st) note. So lets try d min e min
using the same pattern to work out G major 4
pentatonic: Bb b min
D
g min

This gives us G, A, B, D, E as the scale for the

G major pentatonic
Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A 2

Ab f min c# min E
5
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F# 3

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 2
C 5
You can use this method with any type of scale F G
really, as long as you know one version of the type a min
of scale and then repeat the pattern starting on the d min e min
new tonic note. How about the minor pentatonic 3
scale. If you are working out the minor pentatonic Bb b min
D
scale from the major scale then the construction g min
is 1, lowered 3, 4, 5, lowered 7 (the lowered notes
are lowered by half a step/semitone). So if you
were trying to work out a minor pentatonic you
would use the A major scale and the construction Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A 1
as previous and you should get: A, C, D, E, G - if
we put this pattern on to the circle the pattern
would look as follows:
Ab f min c# min E
4
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

3
5 C 1
So lets apply this pattern to g minor pentatonic: F G
a min
2 d min e min
This gives us G, Bb, C, D, F for the g minor 4
pentatonic scale. Bb b min
D
g min

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

Note: The minor pentatonic scale contains the same notes as its relative major pentatonic, but starting on the
minor key note. For example:

C major pentatonic = C, D, E, G, A, then the relative minor is a, and a minor pentatonic = A, C, D, E, G.

Bb major pentatonic = Bb, C, D, F, G, then the relative minor is g, and g minor pentatonic = G, Bb, C, D, F

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 8
1
4 C 5
Lets try a major scale - we know that C major F G
has no sharps or flats (refer back to the original a min
diagram for key signatures) so the scale is C, D, d min e min
E, F, G, A, B, C. On the circle the pattern looks 2
as follows: Bb b min
D
g min

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A 6

Ab f min c# min E
3
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F# 7

6
2 C 3
Now lets use the same F G
pattern, but starting on a new a min
note - Eb major. If you use the d min e min
same pattern this gives you the
5 7
scale Eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, C, D, Eb Bb b min
D
which is correct for the key of g min
Eb major.

8 1 Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
4
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

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 1 8
Now lets look at the pattern for a harmonic minor
scale. We will start with a minor as we know this 4 a min 5
hasnt got any sharps or flats (refer back to the original d min e min
diagram for key signatures), but we do however raise
the 7th note in a harmonic minor scale. The b min
2
g min
a harmonic minor scale is A, B, C, D, E, F, G#, A. For
this one we will use the inner circle (minor chords) so
that if you want to pick out chords rather than scales
you can do so.
3 c min Circle of Fifths f# min

f min c# min
6
bb / a# min ab / g# min
eb / d# min 7

3
Look at this pattern on the circle and now lets use the
same pattern, but starting on a new note - F# minor. If 6 a min
you use the same pattern this gives you the scale F#, d min e min
G#, A, B, C#, D, F (which actually should be E#), F#.
g min b min 4

1
c min Circle of Fifths f# min
8

7 f min c# min
5
bb / a# min ab / g# min
eb / d# min 2

You will notice here the 7th note is F when it should be the raised 7th E# (in scales there should be one of every
letter name). E# is actually the same pitch as F, so for playing purposes will sound the same (this is an enharmonic
equivalent), but for written purposes if you were writing out the scale it should be E#. You may come across this
sometimes using the circle of fifths.

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Here are some blank circle of fifths charts which you can use to work out chord progressions, scales and maybe even
discover other patterns:

C
F G
a min
d min e min
Bb b min
D
g min

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min C
Db B
eb / d# min F G
C# Cb a min
Gb F# d min e min
Bb b min
D
g min

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
C C#
eb / d# min
Cb
F G Gb F#
a min
d min e min
Bb b min
D
g min

Eb c min Circle of Fifths f# min A

Ab f min c# min E
bb / a# min ab / g# min
Db B
eb / d# min
C# Cb
Gb F#

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