The Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths is a visual tool for understanding the relationship between musical keys. It displays all 12 major and minor keys arranged in a circle, where each move clockwise shifts the key by a perfect fifth (seven semitones), while moving counterclockwise shifts by a perfect fourth. This layout helps musicians see which keys are closely related, identify key signatures, and facilitate smooth chord progressions. It also highlights shared notes between keys, making it easier to transition between them harmonically, and serves as a fundamental reference for composition and improvisation.