Circle of 4ths/5ths

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Category: Guitarelements Lessons
Published on Tuesday, 03 April 2012 09:17
Written by circleof4ths5ths
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Circle of 4ths/5ths & The Key Signatures

 

See how Circle of 4ths/5ths & key signatures & Ralative Major/Minor work.




Base on the Major scale Formula.
Half-steps occurs between "3rd & 4th and 7th & 8th" steps or degrees of the scale.
We can figure out the Keys according to it's key signature.



Key name G D A E B F#
Gb		 C#
Db		 Green Blocks Order of Sharps
Clockwise
Order of Sharps
Clockwise >>>>		 F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
Number of Sharps 1st sharp 2nd sharp 3rd sharp 4th sharp 5th sharp 6th sharp 7th sharp  
Red Blocks Order of Sharps
Counter - Clockwise 		Fb Cb Gb Db Ab Eb Bb Order of Flats
<<<< Counter-Clockwise
  Cb Gb Db Ab Eb Bb F
Key name
  7th flat 6th flat 5th flat 4th flat 3rd flat 2nd flat 1st flat Number of Flats


1. How many Sharps are there in the key of B?
Look at the B in the " Key name - GREEN Block " - Right under it - The A#
According to the order of sharps.
There are Five Sharps for the key of B - The Sharps are in this order respectively F# - C# - G# - D# - A#


2. How many Flats are there in the key of Db?
Look at the Ab in the "Key name - RED Block" - Above it - The Db
According to the order of Flats.
There are Four Flats for the key of Db - The Flats are in this order respectively Bb - Eb - Ab - Db



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1. C count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on G
Carry the G as the 1st in next step.		 C D E F G A B C
Now write down G as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of G use accidentals		 G A B C D E F# G
So you can say: The Key of G has one sharp and the Sharp is F#              

 

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2. G count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on D
Carry the D as the 1st in next step.		 G A B C D E F G
Now write down D as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of D use accidentals		 D E F# G A B C# D
So you can say: The Key of D has 2 Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F# C#            

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3. D count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on A
Carry the A as the 1st in next step.		 D E F# G A B C# D
Now write down A as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of A use accidentals		 A B C# D E F# G# A
So you can say: The Key of A has 3 Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F# C# G#          

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4. A count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on E
Carry the E as the 1st in next step		 A B C# D E F# G# A
Now write down E as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of E use accidentals		 E F# G# A B C# D# E
So you can say: The Key of E has Four Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F# C# G# D#        

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5. E count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on B
Carry the B as the 1st in next step		 E F# G# A B C# D# E
Now write down B as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of B use accidentals		 B C# D# E F# G# A# B
So you can say: The Key of B has 5 Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F# C# G# D# A#      

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6. B count as 1st. Count up Five steps - You landed on F#/Gb
Carry the F#/Gb as the 1st in next step		 B C# D# E F#
Gb		 G# A# B
Now write down F#/Gb as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of F#/Gb use accidentals		 F#
Gb		 G# A# B C# D# F F#
The Key of F#/Gb has 6 Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F#
Gb		 C# G# D# A# E#    

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The key of F# also can be used as Gb - These 2 notes is Enharmonic.

When use Shaprs - It is adviseable not to use flats - But use sharp through out the scale steps.

Vice versa if you Flats


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7. F#/Gb counts as 1st. Count up Five steps.
You landed on C# or Db
Carry the C#/Db as the 1st in next step		 F#
Gb		 G# A# B C#
Db		 D# F F#
Now write down C#/Db as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of C#/Db use accidentals		 C#
Db		 D# F F# G# A# B# C#
The Key of C# / Db has 7 Sharps.
The Sharps are in this order respectively		 F# C# G# D# A# E# B#  
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The key of C# also can be used as Db - These 2 notes is Enharmonic.
When use Shaprs - It is adviseable not to use flats - But use sharp through out the scale steps.
Vice versa if you Flats
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We are going to learn about the order of Flats
Counting Counter - Clockwise when working with Flats.
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1. C as the 1st. Count four steps - You landed on F
Carry the F as the 1st in next step		 C D E F G A B C
Now write down F as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of F use accidentals		 F G A Bb C D E F
So you can say: The Key of F has 1 Flat. Bb              
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2. F as the 1st. Count up 4 steps - You landed on key of Bb
Carry the Bb as the 1st in next step		 F G A Bb C D E F
Now write down Bb as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Bb use accidentals		 Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
So you can say: The Key of Bb has 2 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb            
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3. Bb as the 1st. Count back Five steps - You landed on Eb
Carry the Eb as the 1st in next step		 Bb C D Eb F G A Bb
Now write down Eb as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Eb use accidentals		 Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
So you can say: The Key of Eb has 3 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb Ab          
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4. Eb as the 1st. Count back Five steps - You get key of Ab
Carry the Ab as the 1st in next step		 Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb
Now write down Ab as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Ab use accidentals		 Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
So you can say: The Key of Ab has 4 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb Ab Db        
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5. Ab as the 1st. Count up 4 steps - You get key of Db
Carry the Db as the 1st in next step		 Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
Now write down Db as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Db use accidentals		 Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
So you can say: The Key of Db has 5 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb Ab Db Gb      
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6. Db as the 1st. Count up 4 steps - You get key of Gb
Carry the Gb as the 1st in next step		 Db Eb F Gb Ab Bb C Db
Now write down Gb as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Gb use accidentals		 Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
So you can say: The Key of Gb has 6 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb    
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7. Gb as the 1st. Count up 4 steps - You get key of Cb
Carry the Cb as the 1st in next step		 Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
Now write down Cb as the 1st then continue to the 8th.
Apply Major scale formula for the key of Cb use accidentals		 Cb Db Eb Fb Gb Ab Bb Cb
So you can say: The Key of Cb has 7 Flats.
The Flats are in this order respectively		 Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb  
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below table show the sharps & flats in the key signatures.

Here it is - The order of sharps
1st shapr is the F#
2nd shapr is the C# ----- F# - C#
3rd sharp is the G# ----- F# - C# - G#
4th sharp is the D# ----- F# - C# - G# - D#
5th sharp is the E# ----- F# - C# - G# - D# - E#
6th sharp is the A# ----- F# - C# - G# - D# - E# - A#
7th sharp is the B# ----- F# - C# - G# - D# - E# - A# - B#		 Here it is - The order of Flats
1st flat is the Bb
2nd flat is the Ab ----- Bb - Ab
3rd flat is the Eb ----- Bb - Ab - Eb
4th flat is the Db ----- Bb - Ab - Eb - Db
5th flat is the Gb ----- Bb - Ab - Eb - Db - Gb
6th flat is the Cb ----- Bb - Ab - Eb - Db - Gb - Cb
7th flat is the Fb ----- Bb - Ab - Eb - Db - Gb - Cb - Fb






For each Major key - There is a Relative Minor key
Count up 6 steps or notes from any major key - you will find its relative minor key.
Vice Versa.
For each Minor key - There is a Relative Major key
Count up 3 steps or notes from any minor key - you will find its relative major key.

Below table showing how I find Relative Minor key form a Major key.
From C major ( has no sharp or flat ) Count as 1 - up to 6 I have a A minor key
From G major ( has 1 sharp - F# ) " " I have a E minor key
From D major ( has 2 sharps - F# - C# ) " " I have a B minor key
From A major ( has 3 sharps - F# - C# - G# ) " " I have a F# minor key
From E major ( has 4 sharps - F# - C# - G# - D# ) " " I have a C# minor key
From B major ( has 5 sharps - F# - C# - G# - D# - A# ) " " I have a G# minor key
From F# major ( has 6 sharps - F# - C# - G# - D# - A# - E# )
or Gb major ( has 6 flats - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb - Cb)		 " " I have a D# minor key
or Eb minor key
From Db major ( has 5 flats - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db - Gb) " " I have a Bb minor key
From Ab major ( has 4 flats - Bb - Eb - Ab - Db ) " " I have a F minor key
From Eb major ( has 3 flats - Bb - Eb - Ab ) " " I have a C minor key
From Bb major ( has 2 flats - Bb - Eb ) " " I have a G minor key
From F major ( has 1 flat - Bb ) " " I have a D minor key
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Below table showing how I find Relative major key form a Minor key.
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From A minor Count as 1 - up to 3 I have a C major key
From E minor " " I have a G major key
From B minor " " I have a D major key
From F# minor " " I have a A major key
From C# minor " " I have a E major key
From G# minor " " I have a B major key
From D# minor or Eb " " I have a F# major key
or Gb major
From Bb minor " " I have a Db major key
From F minor " " I have a Ab major key
From C minor " " I have a Eb major key
From G minor " " I have a Bb major key
From D minor " " I have a F major key