An interactive circle of fifths chart
This circle of fifths is a clickable chart of all 24 major and minor keys. Tap any key on the wheel and it shows the key signature, the notes of the scale, the relative minor or major, and the seven chords that belong to the key — lit up on the circle itself, so you can see at a glance that C, F and G sit side by side with their relative minors Am, Dm and Em.
Below the wheel you get the chords as a table with Roman numerals, seven common circle of fifths chord progressions spelled in your key (tap Play to hear them), and the chord shapes for guitar, ukulele or piano. It all runs in your browser, and the chart downloads as a PNG or SVG.
How to use the Circle of Fifths
- Click a key on the outer ring (major) or the inner ring (minor), or choose it from the Key list. With the wheel focused, the arrow keys move around it.
- Read the key signature, scale notes and related keys on the right; click a related key to jump to it.
- Use Chords in the key to find the triads and seventh chords — tap a chord to hear it.
- Press Play next to a progression; the chords light up on the wheel as they sound.
- Switch Chord shapes between Guitar, Ukulele and Piano, and save the wheel with PNG chart or SVG.
Circle of Fifths features
All 24 keys, correctly spelled
Enharmonic keys at the bottom of the circle are kept apart: F♯ major (6 sharps) and G♭ major (6 flats), C♯ and D♭, B and C♭, with D♯ minor and E♭ minor.
Chords lit on the wheel
The key’s I, IV and V sit next to each other on the outer ring and ii, iii and vi on the inner ring; vii° is marked separately.
Playable progressions
Pop, three-chord, 1950s, jazz ii–V–I, the full circle progression and 12-bar blues in major keys; natural and harmonic minor progressions and the Andalusian cadence in minor keys.
Guitar, ukulele and piano shapes
Each diatonic chord with an easy guitar or ukulele shape, or highlighted on a piano keyboard.
Turning wheel
The circle can rotate so your key sits at 12 o’clock, with its neighbours either side.
Printable chart
Download the current wheel, with its highlights, as a sharp PNG or a scalable SVG.
How the circle of fifths works
Going clockwise, each key is a perfect fifth higher than the one before (C → G → D → A …) and gains one sharp. Going anticlockwise, each step is a fifth lower — a fourth higher — and adds one flat (C → F → B♭ → E♭ …), which is why the same diagram read the other way is called the circle of fourths. After twelve steps you are back at C; at the bottom, F♯ major and G♭ major are the same pitches written two ways. Each minor key on the inner ring shares its key signature with the major key beside it: its relative major, three semitones higher.
| Sharps | Major / minor | Flats | Major / minor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (F♯) | G / Em | 1 (B♭) | F / Dm |
| 2 (F♯ C♯) | D / Bm | 2 (B♭ E♭) | B♭ / Gm |
| 3 | A / F♯m | 3 | E♭ / Cm |
| 4 | E / C♯m | 4 | A♭ / Fm |
| 5 | B / G♯m | 5 | D♭ / B♭m |
| 6 | F♯ / D♯m | 6 | G♭ / E♭m |
| 7 | C♯ / A♯m | 7 | C♭ / A♭m |
Circle of fifths chord progressions
The chords of a major key are the key itself and its two neighbours, each with its relative minor — six chords in a block of three segments — plus the diminished chord on the 7th degree. Moving anticlockwise from chord to chord is the strongest pull in tonal music: a chord “resolves” to the one a fifth below. That is why ii–V–I (Dm–G–C in C major) ends so many songs, and why the full circle progression I–IV–vii°–iii–vi–ii–V–I walks home one step at a time. In minor keys the V is usually made major by raising the 7th, giving the harmonic minor’s E or E7 in A minor.
For guitar, the circle also tells you which open chords group together: the key of G uses G, C, D, Em, Am and Bm, the key of D uses D, G, A, Bm, Em and F♯m. To move a whole song to another key, use the chord transposer; to see the scale on the neck or keyboard, open the scale finder; and the piano chord finder names any chord from the notes you play.
Some books write minor-key numerals differently
This chart labels the chords of a minor key from the minor scale — i, ii°, III, iv, v, VI, VII — which is the usual classroom style. Jazz and pop books often number everything from the major scale instead, writing ♭III, ♭VI and ♭VII for the same chords. Both point to the same notes; only the labels differ.
Circle of Fifths FAQ
How do I read a circle of fifths chart?
Find your key on the outer ring for major or the inner ring for minor. The number of sharps or flats is in the ring between them, and the keys right next to yours are the closest related keys. The chords lit on the wheel are the ones that belong to the key.
What are the chords in the key of C major?
C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim (I, ii, iii, IV, V, vi and vii°). As seventh chords: Cmaj7, Dm7, Em7, Fmaj7, G7, Am7 and Bm7♭5.
How do guitarists use the circle of fifths?
To find the chords in a key, to pick a capo-friendly key and to learn progressions such as I–IV–V and ii–V–I. The Chord shapes view shows an easy shape for every chord in the selected key.
How do I find the relative minor of a key?
Look directly inward on the circle: the relative minor of C is A minor, of G is E minor. It is the 6th note of the major scale, three semitones below the tonic, and it has the same key signature.
Why is F♯ major also written G♭ major?
They are the same keys on a piano. F♯ major is written with six sharps and G♭ major with six flats; composers choose whichever fits the surrounding music.
Can I print the circle of fifths?
Yes. Press PNG chart for an 840-pixel image or SVG for a vector file that prints sharply at any size; both keep the highlighted key.