If the Circle of Fifths only has 12 spots, how can there be 7 sharp and 7 flat keys, plus our neutral key of C Major? The answer is, three of these keys are Enharmonic. However, the top of the Circle, 12 o’clock, is our neutral key, meaning no sharps or flats: C Major. The flat keys move by perfect fourths, and are placed counter-clockwise, starting at 11 o’clock, around the circle-adding a flat with each counter-clockwise move.Īs mentioned above, the arrangement of the key signatures in the Circle of Fifths is based on the number of sharps or flats in each key. What's cool about the sharp keys is that one sharp starts on the number one, and moves up accordingly. The sharp keys move by perfect fifths, and are placed clockwise around the circle. If we start at the top of the circle, 12 o’clock on an analog clock, we can begin counting clockwise 1, 2, 3, just like an analog clock. Whereas the numbers on the clock represent hours of the day, the letters on the clock represent the prominent major and minor key signatures in Western music!
Like an analog clock, the Circle of Fifths is divided into 12 points, but instead of numbers, there are letters. It can be thought of as the analog clock of music.
The diagram presents all the diatonic major and minor keys, in order, based on the amount of sharps or flats. The Circle of Fifths is a great tool in aiding musicians to learn and memorize all the basic diatonic key signatures. What is the Circle of Fifths?: Reading the Clock
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