Circle of Fifths
Click any key to see its diatonic chords, relative minor, and how it relates to neighbouring keys.
Click an outer key (major) or inner ring (minor) ↑
What is the Circle of Fifths?
The Circle of Fifths is a diagram of all 12 major keys (and their relative minors) arranged by how closely they're related — each step around the circle adds or removes exactly one sharp or flat. It was originally a way to visualize key signatures, but songwriters and producers use it for a lot more: finding a key to modulate into that will sound natural, building chord progressions from a key's diatonic chords, and understanding at a glance why certain chord changes feel smooth while others feel jarring.
How to read it
Moving clockwise by one step adds a sharp to the key signature — C → G → D → A and so on. Moving counterclockwise adds a flat. Keys next to each other share six of their seven diatonic chords, making modulation between them sound natural.
Outer vs inner ring
The outer ring shows major keys. The inner ring shows their relative minors — they share the exact same notes but with a different tonal centre. For example, C major and A minor both use C D E F G A B.
IV and V highlighted
When you select a key, the circle highlights its dominant (V) one step clockwise and its subdominant (IV) one step counterclockwise. These are the three most closely related keys — the foundation of Western harmony.
Use it for songwriting
Pick a key, read off the diatonic chords, and you have a palette of chords that sound great together. Click any chord in the table to open it in the editor, or use the I–VI–IV–V button to load the most popular pop progression instantly.
Build a progression from your key
Pick chords from the table above and arrange them in the Chord Player — add rhythm, transpose, and export to WAV.
Open free Chord PlayerFrequently asked questions
What is the Circle of Fifths used for?
It maps how the 12 major and minor keys relate to each other, arranged so that each step clockwise or counterclockwise adds one sharp or flat. Musicians use it to find closely related keys for modulation, to build chord progressions that sound natural, and to quickly work out a key signature without memorizing it.
How do I use the Circle of Fifths to transpose a song?
Find your current key on the circle, then find the target key. The number of steps between them tells you how many sharps or flats you are adding or removing — every chord in the progression shifts by the same interval. The Chord Transposer tool does this shift automatically if you would rather not do it by hand.
Why are major and minor keys shown on the same circle?
Every major key has a relative minor that shares the exact same key signature — for example C major and A minor both use no sharps or flats. The outer ring on this chart shows the major keys and the inner ring shows their relative minors directly across from them.
What are the closest related keys to any given key?
The two keys directly next to a key on the circle — one clockwise (its dominant, V) and one counterclockwise (its subdominant, IV) — share six of seven diatonic chords with it. That overlap is why moving between neighboring keys sounds smooth, and why so many songs modulate up a fourth or fifth.