Circle Of fifths
- Thread starter hofner
- Start date
One of its function is to highlight the relationship between the different keys in terms of their sharps and flats. Hence in the circle, you'll notice that the key of C is followed by F (one flat) and then Bb (with two flats) and so on. Useful tool for songwriting, especially with key changes.
Actually it's about consonance and dissonance. If you go C scale and then start on the 5th of that, G, and then the 5th of that, you'll find that you'll get back to C after going through all 12 keys within the 12 tone western system. Usually this is shown as a circle of keys that are intervals of 5ths from each other. From this you can determine how consonant or in agreement each key is. So if you're to modulate to another key say from C to G it's pretty ok and won't be dissonant to the listener, but if you go from C to something opposite the scale, like F#, it's supposed to be really dissonant, since they both have only 4 notes in common.
Perhaps some jazz players would like to explain if this has any significance in the jazz world.
Perhaps some jazz players would like to explain if this has any significance in the jazz world.
guitar_phreak
New member
Correct, tuning the guitar is for easy access. Some advance players would tune their guitars their own way. For example, Paul Gilbert tuned one of his 7s into EEEADGB (If I am not wrong), so that he can ridiculous octave tapping and shredding.
Consonance in diatonic harmony, is a group of tones that are heard as a compatible combination when sounded together; its opposite is dissonance.
Consonant and Dissonant. Consonant intervals sound pleasant, or at least comfortable. Dissonant intervals sound unpleasant, uncomfortable and even aggressive.
And Vegan, who appointed you the absolute authority on what or what isn't' the "circle of of 5ths' and it's uses? Certainly not me!
By definition and appearance, any chart-like apparatus is supposedly a tool of convenience.
~Dr. AXE
Consonant and Dissonant. Consonant intervals sound pleasant, or at least comfortable. Dissonant intervals sound unpleasant, uncomfortable and even aggressive.
And Vegan, who appointed you the absolute authority on what or what isn't' the "circle of of 5ths' and it's uses? Certainly not me!
By definition and appearance, any chart-like apparatus is supposedly a tool of convenience.
~Dr. AXE
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5
C - D - E - F - G
G - A - B - C - D
D - E - F - G - A
A - B - C - D - E
E - F - G - A - B
B - C - D - E - F#
F - G - A - B - C#
If you start counting from C major scale, the 5th note would be G. Then you count 5th from G major scale, you will get D. Then you count 5th note from D major scale, you will get A.
Another interesting thing you might notice is that the key signature (sharp in this case) increase accordingly also. Like G (major) has 1 sharp which is F#. The next D (major) has 2 sharps which are F# and C#. And so on...
Is this cycle of fifth? :wink:
C - D - E - F - G
G - A - B - C - D
D - E - F - G - A
A - B - C - D - E
E - F - G - A - B
B - C - D - E - F#
F - G - A - B - C#
If you start counting from C major scale, the 5th note would be G. Then you count 5th from G major scale, you will get D. Then you count 5th note from D major scale, you will get A.
Another interesting thing you might notice is that the key signature (sharp in this case) increase accordingly also. Like G (major) has 1 sharp which is F#. The next D (major) has 2 sharps which are F# and C#. And so on...
Is this cycle of fifth? :wink:
bongman
New member
MASTER CLASS
WOW! MASTER CLASS of CYCLE OF 5th by SOFTie JAMES WOO
Qn:
1. Any songs use the circle of fifths to build the harmony?
2. Round it round it goes around the 5th, will it comes back to homeground?
3. When you talk about sharps, does it apply to the flats?
Sony, Sharp, Aiwa, National...
Apt, Blocks, Flats, Condo...
WOW! MASTER CLASS of CYCLE OF 5th by SOFTie JAMES WOO
Qn:
1. Any songs use the circle of fifths to build the harmony?
2. Round it round it goes around the 5th, will it comes back to homeground?
3. When you talk about sharps, does it apply to the flats?
Sony, Sharp, Aiwa, National...
Apt, Blocks, Flats, Condo...
basically, in a song, the 1st, 4th and 5ths chords are majors. the rest are minors.
take for example Earth Angel (key of C)
C, Am, F, G
in this case, the chord Am (6th) is a minor. basically because it contains the notes in the key of C major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C)
a chord is basically made of the 1st, 3rd and 5th (eg C major C, E, G. refer to the letters above in the C major scale)
Am - A, C, E (in a minor chord, the 3rd is flatted)
if it was A major chord - A, C#, E, it wouldn't fit because C# is not in the C major scale.
so for the rest of the chords, if u work it out, they are all in the C major scale.
however, there are exceptions to this rule.
eg Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
Basic Chords (key of G)
G, B, C, D
here, the 3rd is in major. dun ask me why. but it juz seems to fit in with the song.
the limitations to music are endless. dun let my points tie u down in writing songs, but use it as a starting guide.
PS. u dun really have to look at the circle of fifths[/b]
take for example Earth Angel (key of C)
C, Am, F, G
in this case, the chord Am (6th) is a minor. basically because it contains the notes in the key of C major (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C)
a chord is basically made of the 1st, 3rd and 5th (eg C major C, E, G. refer to the letters above in the C major scale)
Am - A, C, E (in a minor chord, the 3rd is flatted)
if it was A major chord - A, C#, E, it wouldn't fit because C# is not in the C major scale.
so for the rest of the chords, if u work it out, they are all in the C major scale.
however, there are exceptions to this rule.
eg Don't Look Back in Anger - Oasis
Basic Chords (key of G)
G, B, C, D
here, the 3rd is in major. dun ask me why. but it juz seems to fit in with the song.
the limitations to music are endless. dun let my points tie u down in writing songs, but use it as a starting guide.
PS. u dun really have to look at the circle of fifths[/b]
Mr_KeyboardMan
New member
No, soft i dont think that's the circle of fifths .... i that's counting the fifth note from the root or u can call it tonic oso ....
This is what i learnt from my teacher long long ago (Good revision)
circle of fifths goes like this:
C >>> F >>>> Bb >>>> Eb >>>> Ab >>>> Db >>>> Gb >>>> B >>>> E >>>> A >>>> D >>>> G >>>> C
[note: this is in clockwise direction] shortcut to make a circle of fifth is to get a clock and replace the number with those alphabets up there starting with C to replace 12.
See how the it form a circle. If you down the circle you go down with the circle you go down a fifth.Some schools teaches the circle going the other direction.
anyway, the main purpose of circle of fifths is to see the relation between chords or keys.
Take example we take the root is D ( If you play in the key of D then the ROOT is D)
next to D is ... on the left A then on the right is G
so A is the dominant and G is the Subdominant
if we take D in the centre as the root those to the right of D is subdominant and the left is the dominant.
subdominant is the 4th note of a diatonic scale(eg key of C: C D E F G A B C)
dominant is the 5th note
In Jazz, circle of Fifths is used for chord movement.
Jazz chord movement has 3 basic formula that every jazz player must know: by the root movement, by the 5th ( RING THE BELL ?) and chromatically.
would like to explain some more on this but it's getting out of the topic already and i m tired
This is what i learnt from my teacher long long ago (Good revision)
circle of fifths goes like this:
C >>> F >>>> Bb >>>> Eb >>>> Ab >>>> Db >>>> Gb >>>> B >>>> E >>>> A >>>> D >>>> G >>>> C
[note: this is in clockwise direction] shortcut to make a circle of fifth is to get a clock and replace the number with those alphabets up there starting with C to replace 12.
See how the it form a circle. If you down the circle you go down with the circle you go down a fifth.Some schools teaches the circle going the other direction.
anyway, the main purpose of circle of fifths is to see the relation between chords or keys.
Take example we take the root is D ( If you play in the key of D then the ROOT is D)
next to D is ... on the left A then on the right is G
so A is the dominant and G is the Subdominant
if we take D in the centre as the root those to the right of D is subdominant and the left is the dominant.
subdominant is the 4th note of a diatonic scale(eg key of C: C D E F G A B C)
dominant is the 5th note
In Jazz, circle of Fifths is used for chord movement.
Jazz chord movement has 3 basic formula that every jazz player must know: by the root movement, by the 5th ( RING THE BELL ?) and chromatically.
would like to explain some more on this but it's getting out of the topic already and i m tired
hi hofner
just did a search and found quite a lot of information on the web about this circle of fifth.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/f/p/fpm108/glw/lessons/lesson18a.htm
try and do a search too
just did a search and found quite a lot of information on the web about this circle of fifth.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/users/f/p/fpm108/glw/lessons/lesson18a.htm
try and do a search too
Mr_KeyboardMan
New member
Everyone PLEASE DO NOT FORGET CIRCLE OF FIFTH
There are more of CIRCLE OF FIFTH than what meets the eye
eg: Do you know that as we go down the circle we add more flats and reduce the sharps. Vice versa when we go up the circle we are adding more sharps and reduce the flats. ( I m refering to version of Circle of Fifth that i wrote before) so circle of fifth has a relation on musical notations
Circle of Fifth is ONE of the BASIC formula for Harmonics Movement, and should not be forgotten. Instead should be MASTERED.
It also consists of perfect movement and diatonic movement (I ll explain next time ,,, tooooo long)
True, that you can still develop your skill without ever knowing WTH is Circle of Fifths and play your solos at LIGHT SPEED .... but as you progress you will find yourself reusing the chord progression that you played b4(FEELS LIKE DE JA VU) and your style development will face a deadlock so you will find that it is better to copy other famous musician's style without ever knowing why they play it like that or buy more and more gadgets than you ever need to make your sounds sounds different instead of developing.
One of my friend ( he's a jazz pianist and plays like herbie hancock) give me this advice(translated directly from indonesian .. he he he) which i started to follow also:
"It is good that you have develop your kind of playing but you should always go back to the BASICS. If you ever forget to go back to basics, in time you will find that you cannot develop your style further."
If you go back to basics again, you will gain better understanding and develop more style and combined with what you have understand before, you become more creative musicaly and more versatile.
so till now I still practising my scaling and revising music theory ... and still improving day by day.
BASIC = IMPORTANT
Cheers
There are more of CIRCLE OF FIFTH than what meets the eye
eg: Do you know that as we go down the circle we add more flats and reduce the sharps. Vice versa when we go up the circle we are adding more sharps and reduce the flats. ( I m refering to version of Circle of Fifth that i wrote before) so circle of fifth has a relation on musical notations
Circle of Fifth is ONE of the BASIC formula for Harmonics Movement, and should not be forgotten. Instead should be MASTERED.
It also consists of perfect movement and diatonic movement (I ll explain next time ,,, tooooo long)
True, that you can still develop your skill without ever knowing WTH is Circle of Fifths and play your solos at LIGHT SPEED .... but as you progress you will find yourself reusing the chord progression that you played b4(FEELS LIKE DE JA VU) and your style development will face a deadlock so you will find that it is better to copy other famous musician's style without ever knowing why they play it like that or buy more and more gadgets than you ever need to make your sounds sounds different instead of developing.
One of my friend ( he's a jazz pianist and plays like herbie hancock) give me this advice(translated directly from indonesian .. he he he) which i started to follow also:
"It is good that you have develop your kind of playing but you should always go back to the BASICS. If you ever forget to go back to basics, in time you will find that you cannot develop your style further."
If you go back to basics again, you will gain better understanding and develop more style and combined with what you have understand before, you become more creative musicaly and more versatile.
so till now I still practising my scaling and revising music theory ... and still improving day by day.
BASIC = IMPORTANT
Cheers
