What is Circle of fifths?
In [[music theory]] the '''Circle of fifths''' shows how the different [[key (music)|keys]] are related to one another. It is usually shown as a circle with the names of keys around it. If you take any key in the circle, its fifth is the one to its right. It can be easily understood together with a [[piano]] keyboard. [[Image:Pianotocircle.jpg|thumb|200px|The layout of a typical musical keyboard translated to a circle of fifths]] == Structure == On a piano there are white and black [[note (music)|notes]] (also called “keys” when used in a piano context). The white notes are named by the letters A to G of the [[alphabet]]. After G comes another A and so on. The black notes go in threes and twos. This makes it easy to see the pattern of white notes. Where there are two black notes together, for example, the white note between them is D. The black notes do not have names of their own. They are named after the white notes next to them. The black note just above (i.e. to the [[Position|right]]) of a G is a G sharp. The black note just below (i.e. to the [[left]]) of the G is G flat. This means that each black note has two possible names (e.g. G flat or F sharp). === Method === Playing each note in turn, whether a white or a black note, will give a [[chromatic]] scale (e.g. C, C sharp, D, E flat, E, F, F sharp, G, A flat, A, B flat, B, C). Each step is called a “semitone” or “half tone”. A “tone” or “whole tone” therefore is a jump of two semitones (C to D, or C sharp to E flat, or E to F sharp). By playing on white notes from C to the next C we get a [[major scale]]. Some of the steps are tones and some are semitones. The semitones come between E and F and between B and C, i.e. between the 3rd and 4th and between the 7th and 8th note of the scale. All major scales have this pattern (tone, tone, semitone, tone, tone, tone, semitone). ==== Examples ==== :[[Image:Fifths.png|right|C# - G# - D# - A# - E# - B# - F♯ - C♯ - G♯(A♭) - E♭ - B♭ - F - C]] *Starting a scale on a G means that the F has to be an