The circle of fifths, made interactive
Tap any key to see the chords that belong to it, watch its closest related keys light up, and hear the scale and the most common progressions play. The whole map of how keys and chords connect, in one wheel.
Outer ring: major keys. Inner ring: their relative minors. Tap any segment to explore that key.
How to use the circle of fifths
It looks academic, but it is really just a shortcut for writing in key and changing key without guesswork.
Pick the key you are in
Tap its segment on the outer ring. The centre shows the key, and the inner ring shows its relative minor — the minor key that shares the exact same notes.
Read the chords that fit
The seven chords shown are every chord that naturally belongs to that key, labelled with their Roman numerals (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi, vii°). Build progressions from these and they will always sound right.
Hear it
Play the scale, or play the I–IV–V and I–V–vi–IV progressions that power most songs ever written. Hearing the key is the fastest way to internalise it.
Use the neighbours to change key
The keys touching yours on the wheel share almost all their notes, so moving to them sounds smooth. That is the trick behind key changes and borrowed chords — step one segment, not across the wheel.
Every key, at a glance
The twelve major keys, their relative minors, and how many sharps or flats each one carries.
| Major key | Relative minor | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C | A minor | No sharps or flats |
| G | E minor | 1 sharp |
| D | B minor | 2 sharps |
| A | F♯ minor | 3 sharps |
| E | C♯ minor | 4 sharps |
| B | G♯ minor | 5 sharps |
| F♯ / G♭ | D♯ / E♭ minor | 6 sharps / 6 flats |
| D♭ | B♭ minor | 5 flats |
| A♭ | F minor | 4 flats |
| E♭ | C minor | 3 flats |
| B♭ | G minor | 2 flats |
| F | D minor | 1 flat |
The Tempo & Delay Cheat Sheet
Worked out your chords? The next decisions are tempo and timing. Keep this one-page reference by the desk for the production side of the track.
- Tempo ranges for 16 genres
- Delay times for every common BPM
- The dotted-eighth and triplet values pros actually use
- Reverb pre-delay and LFO sync tricks
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Keep writing
The circle shows you which chords fit. These tools help you turn them into parts.
Questions, answered
What is the circle of fifths actually for?
It maps how the twelve keys relate. Each step clockwise is a perfect fifth up, and keys that sit next to each other share almost all their notes. That makes it a quick reference for which chords belong together, which keys are easy to move between, and how many sharps or flats a key has.
How do I write a chord progression with it?
Pick your key and use the seven chords shown. The I, IV and V (the selected key and its two neighbours) are the backbone of most songs; add the vi for the hugely popular I–V–vi–IV pattern. Any combination of the seven will sound in key.
What is a relative minor?
It is the minor key that uses the exact same notes as a major key, shown on the inner ring. A minor is the relative minor of C major. Switching between a key and its relative minor is one of the smoothest moves in songwriting.
Why do some keys show sharps and others flats?
Each key signature uses either sharps or flats, never both, so the notes are easier to read. At the bottom of the wheel the two systems meet, which is why F♯ and G♭ are the same pitch written two ways — they are enharmonic.
Does it play sound?
Yes. Selecting a key gives you buttons to hear its scale and its most common progressions, generated in your browser. No files, no app, nothing to install.
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