Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths and Fourths

Key Signatures and the Circle of Fifths and Fourths…

• Memorize the cycle of fourths at first. FOURTHS: C F B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F♯ B E A D G C. The word BEAD is in there twice, first with flats( B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ ) then with no flats or sharps ( B E A D ). Making it a little easier to memorize. Then fifths is the other direction, with BEAD in there backwards ( D A E B ).
• The Primary Chords for a Major Key are: to left (the IV chord) and the right (the V chord) of the root of the key (the I chord). This ONLY works for major keys and not their Relative Minor keys.

Fourths: C F B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ F♯ B E A D G C
Fifths: C G D A E B F♯ D♭ E♭ A♭ ♭b F C

• A sharp (♯) and flat (♭) are two of the three accidentals with a natural sign (♮) being the other. Other than the Key of C Major/Am the cycle is full of either sharps or flats and not any mixed with sharps and flats.
• Common Rock, Pop, Country, and Folk keys are: C, G, D, A, and E. These are typical keys for guitar.
• Common Jazz keys are: C, F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, and the lone sharp key of G. There is a some overlap with F and Bb as common keys for ukulele.
• For each key there is a corresponding lesson covering the primary, secondary, and diminished chords in each major key. See the Key Signatures Lessons Series .
• The answer the the questions? How many traditional major and minor keys are there? Is 30 — the 15 major and 15 relative minor keys.

The Circle of Fifths Made Clear by Mark Newman

Great video explaining the history and significance of learning this mystical, musical key.

Memorize IT!

I actually memorized the sequence C F Bb Eb Ab Db F# B E A D G (C), With out resorting to any mnemonics by seeing that there is the word BEAD in there twice. Once with flats and once natural notes.

In this order it is actually in the counter-clockwise order and a cycle of fourths - not fifths.

First: As a Cycle of Fourths

• Memorize C and F
• BEAD with flats for Bb Eb Ab Db
• The transition F# or Gb it's Enharmonic Equivalent then
• BEAD and finally
• G C

for: C F Bb Eb Ab Db F# B E A D G C

Second: As a Cycle of Fifths

Then backwards as the Circle of Fifths.

Additional Resources & Links

• Leonard Bernstein (The Unanswered Question): Bernstein, The greatest 5 min. in music education.
• The Harmonic Series