# Circle of fifths...



## Whitechapel7 (May 7, 2012)

So im trying to move into a better understanding of songwriting, however, i overlooked this part of theory when i began. i try to figure it out and it ends up in fury, wrath, and lashing out irrationally...or i look like this --->
Anyways, could someone be so kind and describe how it works to me? i would be forever thankful. and if there is already a post for it, i'm sorry but i couldn't find it, even with the search feature. thank you again.


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## drgamble (May 7, 2012)

The circle of fifths have to do with figuring out the key of a song based off of the number of sharps/flats are in the key signature. For example, c major has no sharps or flats. If you go up a fifth from C to G major, you now have one sharp, F#. If you go up a fifth from G to D, you have 2 sharps, F# and C#, etc.


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## Solodini (May 7, 2012)

The free sample chapters of my book explain the cycle of fifths, how it works and how to use it. There's a link to it in my sig. If you face any difficulties with it or have any questions, ask and you shall receive help.


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## Whitechapel7 (May 7, 2012)

thank you so very much guys.


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## Konfyouzd (May 7, 2012)

Well apparently (according to the first response anyway) I didn't understand wtf it was either although I was convinced I did.


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## Maniacal (May 7, 2012)

Just wait for The Chosen One to respond.


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 7, 2012)

The circle of fifths is a tool used for seeing which notes are diatonic to a given major or minor key. If you want, you can say it's a way to determine key signature. It also shows the relationship of one key to others. For example, C major is closely related to F major and G major, since they're right next to each other on the circle, but C major is most distantly related to F# major, B major, and C# major, because they're on the opposite end of the circle. That sort of thing is useful when you're modulating.






You don't really need it for songwriting, but it's a good thing to have knowledge of the circle of fifths, just from a compositional and conceptual standpoint.

As an addendum, I hear from a lot of people that they use it to build chord progressions, but it's not the purpose of the circle of fifths to do that. For that, it's better to think of diatonic chord progressions in terms of diatonic functions and a series of substitutions.


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## 7Mic7 (May 7, 2012)




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## Grimbold (May 7, 2012)

Solodini said:


> The free sample chapters of my book explain the cycle of fifths, how it works and how to use it. There's a link to it in my sig. If you face any difficulties with it or have any questions, ask and you shall receive help.



well
that's how i learned


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## Mr. Big Noodles (May 7, 2012)

For the record, I hate that Andrew Furmanczyk guy. This video actually isn't that bad (comparatively speaking), but his methodology and demeanor make me cringe and eventually fall asleep as I wait for him to get to the point. He should have put the information about intervals at the beginning of the video, built the circle that way, and left out how he bought a big package of colored markers and imagined buying a broken Lamborghini. I wonder if the people that watch this video and are told to think in terms of Father Charles can understand what he means when he says "enharmonic".

Of course, if that sort of thing helps you out, more power to you. I just find him consistently annoying.


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## Whitechapel7 (May 8, 2012)

again, thank you all, starting to slowly figure it out. you are all pretty fucking metal


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## Dayn (May 10, 2012)

The easiest way for me to remember it is thanks to extended-range guitars.

The guitar is tuned mostly in fourths, and a fourth is merely an inverted fifth... Going in the direction of flats in a key signature, imagine you're tuned a half-step down on a nine-string, so you have a low C. You go up to the F string (one flat), Bb (two flats), Eb (three flats), Ab, Db, Gb.

Then, go the opposite way for sharps. Imagine you're in standard tuning, and your B string is tuned up to C. You go from C, to G (one sharp), D (two sharps), A (three sharps), E, B, F#, C#.

Best of all, it's topical!


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