Click any key on the circle to see its key signature, relative minor or major, scale notes and the seven chords that belong to it, then listen to every chord and to common progressions. Switch to the inner ring for minor keys and turn on 7th chords for jazz voicings.
Last updated:
TonicOther chords in the key
C major
Relative minor: A minor · no sharps or flats
Scale
Chords in the key
Progressions
Related keys
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How to use the Interactive Circle of Fifths
Click a key on the outer ring for a major key or on the inner ring for a minor key. Use the arrow keys to step around the circle.
Read the key panel: key signature, relative key, scale notes and the chords of the key.
Click a chord card to hear it, or press Play scale to hear the scale.
Play a progression to hear how the chords of the key work together.
Turn on 7th chords or choose harmonic minor to explore richer harmony, and use the related-key buttons to modulate around the circle.
Key signatures of all major and minor keys
Major key
Relative minor
Key signature
Sharps or flats
C
A minor
0
none
G
E minor
1♯
F♯
D
B minor
2♯
F♯ C♯
A
F♯ minor
3♯
F♯ C♯ G♯
E
C♯ minor
4♯
F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯
B / C♭
G♯ minor / A♭ minor
5♯ / 7♭
F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯
F♯ / G♭
D♯ minor / E♭ minor
6♯ / 6♭
F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ or B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭
D♭ / C♯
B♭ minor / A♯ minor
5♭ / 7♯
B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭
A♭
F minor
4♭
B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭
E♭
C minor
3♭
B♭ E♭ A♭
B♭
G minor
2♭
B♭ E♭
F
D minor
1♭
B♭
Quick rules: in a sharp key the last sharp is the 7th note of the major scale, so the tonic is one semitone above it (last sharp C♯ → D major). In a flat key the second-to-last flat names the key (B♭ E♭ A♭ → E♭ major); F major, with only B♭, is the one to memorize.
Chords in every major key
Every major key has the same pattern of chord qualities: I ii iii IV V vi vii° (major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished). With 7th chords the pattern is Imaj7, ii7, iii7, IVmaj7, V7, vi7, viiø7. Natural minor keys use i ii° III iv v VI VII; harmonic minor raises the 7th to make the dominant V major.
Key
I
ii
iii
IV
V
vi
vii°
C
C
Dm
Em
F
G
Am
B°
G
G
Am
Bm
C
D
Em
F♯°
D
D
Em
F♯m
G
A
Bm
C♯°
A
A
Bm
C♯m
D
E
F♯m
G♯°
E
E
F♯m
G♯m
A
B
C♯m
D♯°
F
F
Gm
Am
B♭
C
Dm
E°
B♭
B♭
Cm
Dm
E♭
F
Gm
A°
E♭
E♭
Fm
Gm
A♭
B♭
Cm
D°
Ways musicians use the circle
Songwriting: the three neighboring keys (IV, I, V) and the three minors inside them give the six most-used chords of a key.
Modulation: neighboring keys differ by only one note, so moving one step around the circle sounds smooth; jumping across it sounds dramatic.
Chord progressions: moving counter-clockwise (down a fifth) is the strongest root movement in tonal music, as in ii–V–I or the jazz cycle E7–A7–D7–G7–C.
Transposing: shift every chord the same number of steps around the circle to move a song to a new key.
Frequently asked questions
What is the circle of fifths?
It is a diagram of the 12 major keys (and their relative minors) arranged so that each step clockwise moves up a perfect fifth and adds one sharp to the key signature, while each step counter-clockwise moves up a perfect fourth (down a fifth) and adds one flat. Keys next to each other share six of their seven notes.
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?
The relative minor starts on the 6th note of the major scale, three semitones below the major tonic, and uses the same key signature. On the circle it sits directly inside the major key: C major and A minor, G major and E minor, F major and D minor.
How do I use the circle of fifths to find chords in a key?
Pick the key, then take the key on each side of it: those three outer-ring keys are the I, IV and V major chords, and the three minor keys directly inside them are the vi, ii and iii minor chords. The seventh chord, the diminished vii°, is built on the leading tone. The tool highlights all of them with Roman numerals.
What is the order of sharps and flats?
Sharps are added in the order F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ B♯ ('Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle') and flats in the reverse order B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ C♭ F♭ ('Battle Ends And Down Goes Charles' Father'). A key with 3 sharps always has F♯, C♯ and G♯.
Why are F♯ major and G♭ major in the same spot?
They are enharmonic: they sound identical on a piano but are spelled differently, F♯ major with 6 sharps and G♭ major with 6 flats. The same happens with B and C♭ (5 sharps or 7 flats) and with D♭ and C♯ (5 flats or 7 sharps). Use the enharmonic button to switch spellings.
What is the difference between natural and harmonic minor here?
Natural minor uses the same notes as its relative major, so the v chord is minor. Harmonic minor raises the 7th note by a semitone, which turns v into a major V chord (and VII into a diminished vii°), giving the strong pull back to the tonic heard in most classical and pop music in minor keys.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.