Let’s be honest:
The Circle of Fifths looks like something from a GCSE physics textbook. You’re told it’s “essential music theory,” but if you’re anything like most guitarists, you’ve probably seen it once and thought:
"Cool. No idea what to do with that."
Totally fair.
But when it’s broken down simply — and shown in a way that’s relevant to your playing — the Circle of Fifths becomes seriously useful.
Let’s clear up the mystery and show how you can actually start using it today.
The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool that shows you:
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All 12 keys in music
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The relationship between those keys
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How many sharps/flats each key has
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The order of key signatures
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Closely related keys for chord progressions, songwriting, or modulating
It’s called the “circle of fifths” because each key moves in intervals of a perfect fifth clockwise around the circle (e.g., C → G → D → A, etc.).
If that still feels abstract, don’t worry — it gets clearer when you start using it practically.
Each position on the circle tells you how many sharps or flats are in a key. Example:
C major is at the top — 0 sharps/flats
One step clockwise: G major = 1 sharp
Next: D major = 2 sharps
…and so on.
This makes memorising keys way easier than staring at charts.
Keys next to each other on the circle are called “closely related keys.” That means they share most of the same chords.
So if you’re writing a song in G major and you want to add some harmonic interest, modulating to D (one fifth above) or C (one fifth below) will feel smooth and musical.
Want to level up? You can use the inner circle (minor keys) to do the same with relative minors.
G major’s relative minor is E minor — which means a lot of its chords will overlap.
Ever wonder why certain progressions sound natural — like G → C → D or A → E → Fβ―m?
The Circle of Fifths explains it: those chords are neighbours on the circle. They have strong harmonic relationships. Your ear already knows they sound good — this just gives you the “why.”
If you’re jamming in, say, A major, and want to spice things up — knowing the nearby keys (like E major or D major) helps you find new scales, licks, and chord options without completely changing key.
Think of this pattern clockwise (from C):
C → G → D → A → E → B → Fβ―
Each is a fifth up. You’re adding one sharp at each step.
For flats, go counter-clockwise:
C → F → Bβ → Eβ → Aβ → Dβ → Gβ
You’re adding flats instead. Easy once you visualise it.
The Circle of Fifths isn’t something to memorise for the sake of it.
It’s a map — helping you find your way around keys, chords, and progressions. Once you start using it practically (to write, improvise, or even learn songs faster), it’ll stop feeling abstract and start feeling essential.
Think of it as a musical compass. It won’t write your songs for you — but it’ll stop you getting lost.
If you’ve ever felt stuck learning theory, Play Smarter: Music Theory in Action is for you. It’s a bite-sized, affordable course designed to teach real-world theory in a way that makes sense on the fretboard — not just on paper.
πΈ Learn the Circle of Fifths with examples
π΅ Understand keys, chords, and progressions
π Train your ear to hear theory in real music
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Apply it to writing, soloing, and jamming
π Check out the course now →
Music theory can be complicated, but it's well worth the effort! Keep at it - and if you get stuck, I'm only an email away.
Jamie
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