OneTaskBy Tim King · Updated
Circle of Fifths
Key Signatures, Relative Minors and Chords in Every Key
OneTask is free, with no sign-up, and built by one person.
If this tool saved you time, a coffee helps keep new ones coming.
How the Circle of Fifths works
This circle of fifths tool gives any key's key signature, relative minor, scales and the seven chords that belong to it, plus the neighbouring keys one step either way round the circle of fifths.
How the circle of fifths works
Going clockwise round the circle, each key is a perfect fifth above the last and adds one sharp: C, G, D, A, E, B, F#, C#. Going anticlockwise, each is a fifth below and adds one flat: F, Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Cb. The formula is simple: sharps arrive in the order F C G D A E B and flats in the reverse order, B E A D G C F. Each major key shares its signature with the relative minor on its sixth degree.
First example. G major has one sharp, F#. Its relative minor is E minor, its chords are G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F#°, and its neighbours on the circle are C major and D major.
Second example. Eb major has three flats: Bb, Eb and Ab. Its relative minor is C minor, and its chords are Eb, Fm, Gm, Ab, Bb, Cm and D°, with Bb7 as the dominant 7th.
How many sharps are in a key? Count steps clockwise from C: A major is three steps round, so it has three sharps, F#, C# and G#. For flat keys, count anticlockwise.
Neighbouring keys differ by only one note, so a song can move between them smoothly. That is why the I, IV and V chords of any key sit side by side on the circle.
Key signature of every major and minor key with its relative key, from seven flats to seven sharps
| Key | Relative key | Signature | Accidentals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cb major | Ab minor | 7 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb |
| Ab minor | Cb major | 7 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb |
| Gb major | Eb minor | 6 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb |
| Eb minor | Gb major | 6 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb |
| Db major | Bb minor | 5 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb |
| Bb minor | Db major | 5 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db Gb |
| Ab major | F minor | 4 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db |
| F minor | Ab major | 4 flats | Bb Eb Ab Db |
| Eb major | C minor | 3 flats | Bb Eb Ab |
| C minor | Eb major | 3 flats | Bb Eb Ab |
| Bb major | G minor | 2 flats | Bb Eb |
| G minor | Bb major | 2 flats | Bb Eb |
| F major | D minor | 1 flat | Bb |
| D minor | F major | 1 flat | Bb |
| C major | A minor | No sharps or flats | None |
| A minor | C major | No sharps or flats | None |
| G major | E minor | 1 sharp | F# |
| E minor | G major | 1 sharp | F# |
| D major | B minor | 2 sharps | F# C# |
| B minor | D major | 2 sharps | F# C# |
| A major | F# minor | 3 sharps | F# C# G# |
| F# minor | A major | 3 sharps | F# C# G# |
| E major | C# minor | 4 sharps | F# C# G# D# |
| C# minor | E major | 4 sharps | F# C# G# D# |
| B major | G# minor | 5 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# |
| G# minor | B major | 5 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# |
| F# major | D# minor | 6 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# E# |
| D# minor | F# major | 6 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# E# |
| C# major | A# minor | 7 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# E# B# |
| A# minor | C# major | 7 sharps | F# C# G# D# A# E# B# |
FAQ
What is the circle of fifths used for?
It shows how many sharps or flats each key has, which keys are closely related, and which chords are likely to follow each other. Songwriters use it to choose chord progressions and modulations.
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?
Go to the sixth note of the major scale, or count down three semitones from the key note. The relative minor of C major is A minor, and both keys use the same notes with no sharps or flats.
Why are there 15 major keys rather than 12?
Three keys have two spellings that sound the same: B and Cb, F# and Gb, and C# and Db. They sit at the bottom of the circle where sharps and flats meet, so either signature can be used.
What are the chords in a major key?
Build a triad on each note of the scale. The pattern is always major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished, written I ii iii IV V vi vii°. In C major they are C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B°.
How do I remember the order of sharps?
A common phrase is Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle, for F C G D A E B. Read it backwards, Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father, for the order of flats.
See also: all Creative tools, Everyday Maths, Loans & Savings, Dates & Time, Health, Home & DIY, Unit Converters, Education, Science, Garden & Farm, Gaming & PC, Work & Business, Fun, Maps & GPS, DIY & Building, Cost Estimators, Sport & Clubs.
Related tools
Chord Finder
Name any chord from its notes, with inversions and formulas.
Music Interval Calculator
Interval name, semitones, cents and just ratio between any two notes.
Chord Player
Click chords to hear them and loop a chord progression.
Scale Player
Hear any scale or mode played in any key on a keyboard.
Key Detector
Detect the key of any song and get its Camelot code for mixing.