Circle of fifths printable
A circle of fifths printable on one Letter page: every major and minor key, the key signatures and the order of sharps and flats. Free to share with students. The interactive circle of fifths explains how to read it.
| Major | Relative minor | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | no sharps or flats |
| G major | E minor | one sharp, F♯ |
| D major | B minor | two sharps, F♯ and C♯ |
| A major | F♯ minor | three sharps, F♯, C♯ and G♯ |
| E major | C♯ minor | four sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯ and D♯ |
| B major | G♯ minor | five sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ and A♯Also C♭ major: seven flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭, C♭ and F♭ |
| F♯ major | D♯ minor | six sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ and E♯Also G♭ major: six flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭ |
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | five flats, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ and G♭Also C♯ major: seven sharps, F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ and B♯ |
| A♭ major | F minor | four flats, B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭ |
| E♭ major | C minor | three flats, B♭, E♭ and A♭ |
| B♭ major | G minor | two flats, B♭ and E♭ |
| F major | D minor | one flat, B♭ |
- Order of sharps
- F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯
- Order of flats
- B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭
Using the printed circle
The circle fits on one Letter page with the key signature table beside it, so a student can keep it in a folder and look up a key without counting sharps. It also works as a quiz sheet: cover the outer ring and name the major keys from the inner one, or cover the table and name each signature.
The interactive circle of fifths has the same layout on screen: pick a key and it lights up with its neighbors and their Roman numerals, and every key has its signature, a button to hear its chord and, where there is one, a link to its scale page.
Questions
How do I read the printed circle?
Start at C, at the top, with no sharps or flats. Each step clockwise adds a sharp; each step counterclockwise adds a flat. The inner ring is each major key’s relative minor, with the same signature.
How do I find the chords of a key on the circle?
A major key and its two neighbors are the three major chords of that key: for C major, C, F and G, its I, IV and V. The three minor keys on the inner ring beside them are its minor chords: A minor, D minor and E minor, its vi, ii and iii. Keys side by side also share six of their seven notes, which makes them the closest keys to change between.