The Circle of Fifths is a valuable tool for musicians. If you aren’t familiar with it; however, it can look very overwhelming.
On today’s show, I will share three basic ways you can use the Circle of Fifths.
Listen to the full episode here
Three Ways to Use the Circle of Fifths
Primary Triads
- Locate any letter on the circle. That is your tonic (I chord)
- The letter to the right is the dominant (V chord)
- The letter to the left is the subdominant (IV chord)
- Many tunes can be harmonized with only these three chords.
Secondary Triads
- Locate the letter under each primary triad.
- These are relative minor chords.
- Minor chords are a fun way to substitute harmonies for melody notes.
- These six chords are the most often used chords in most popular music.
- Outside of the three primary triads, the minor 6 chord (vi chord) is the next most popular.
- Look up Axis of Awesome to see their funny take on the I-vi-IV-V chord progression.
Seven Notes of a Major Scale
- If you put the six letters of the primary and secondary triads in alphabetical order, starting with tonic, you will have the first six letters of the major scale (including necessary accidentals)
- To locate the seventh note of the scale, look to the right of the last letter in the minor ring of the circle.
Key Signatures Unlocked COURSE
I am excited to build a new online course to enable pianists to be able to use the Circle of 5ths tool and create their own music using key signatures.
As of the recording of this episode, you have the opportunity to join me in customizing this course to include exactly the things you want to learn.
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