Circle of Fifths
The 12 major keys, their key signatures, and relative minors.
Click any row to copy it.
| Major key | Sharps / flats | Relative minor | |
|---|---|---|---|
| C major | 0 | A minor | copy |
| G major | 1♯F♯ | E minor | copy |
| D major | 2♯F♯ C♯ | B minor | copy |
| A major | 3♯F♯ C♯ G♯ | F♯ minor | copy |
| E major | 4♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | C♯ minor | copy |
| B major | 5♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | G♯ minor | copy |
| F♯ major | 6♯F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ | D♯ minor | copy |
| D♭ major | 5♭B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ | B♭ minor | copy |
| A♭ major | 4♭B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | F minor | copy |
| E♭ major | 3♭B♭ E♭ A♭ | C minor | copy |
| B♭ major | 2♭B♭ E♭ | G minor | copy |
| F major | 1♭B♭ | D minor | copy |
Order of sharps: F C G D A E B
Order of flats: B E A D G C F
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 major keys so each step clockwise moves up a perfect fifth and adds one sharp: C, G, D, A, E, B, F♯. Going counter-clockwise adds flats: F, B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭. Each major key shares its key signature with a relative minor a minor third below.
What the circle shows
The circle of fifths lays out all 12 major keys in a ring. Neighbouring keys are a perfect fifth apart, which is why C leads to G, G to D, D to A, and so on. Because adjacent keys differ by just one accidental, the circle is a map of how closely related two keys are — the nearer they sit, the more notes they share.
Sharps clockwise, flats counter-clockwise
Starting from C major (no sharps or flats) and moving clockwise, each new key adds exactly one sharp: G has one (F♯), D has two (F♯ C♯), and the pattern continues to F♯ major with six sharps. Moving counter-clockwise from C instead adds flats: F has one (B♭), B♭ has two, down to D♭ major with five flats. The keys at the bottom of the circle can be spelled either way — this is where sharp keys and flat keys meet.
Relative minors
Every major key has a relative minor that uses the exact same key signature. The relative minor sits a minor third (three semitones) below the major, so A minor pairs with C major, E minor with G major, and D minor with F major. They contain the same notes; only the tonal centre differs.
Order of sharps and flats
Sharps are always added in the fixed order F C G D A E B, and flats in the reverse order B E A D G C F. A handy check: a sharp-key signature is named a semitone above its last sharp (the last sharp in G major is F♯, and F♯ up a semitone is G), while a flat key is named after the second-to-last flat.
The 12 major keys around the circle
Each major key with its key signature and relative minor. Clockwise adds sharps; counter-clockwise adds flats.
| Major key | Sharps / flats | Relative minor |
|---|---|---|
| C major | 0 — no sharps or flats | A minor |
| G major | 1♯ — F♯ | E minor |
| D major | 2♯ — F♯ C♯ | B minor |
| A major | 3♯ — F♯ C♯ G♯ | F♯ minor |
| E major | 4♯ — F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ | C♯ minor |
| B major | 5♯ — F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ | G♯ minor |
| F♯ major | 6♯ — F♯ C♯ G♯ D♯ A♯ E♯ | D♯ minor |
| D♭ major | 5♭ — B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ | B♭ minor |
| A♭ major | 4♭ — B♭ E♭ A♭ D♭ | F minor |
| E♭ major | 3♭ — B♭ E♭ A♭ | C minor |
| B♭ major | 2♭ — B♭ E♭ | G minor |
| F major | 1♭ — B♭ | D minor |
Using the circle in practice
Musicians use the circle to transpose, to build chord progressions, and to modulate smoothly between keys. Chords built on neighbouring keys sound closely related, so moving one step around the circle is one of the gentlest ways to change key. It also explains why the I, IV and V chords of a key — its most common harmonies — are the tonic and its two immediate neighbours on the circle.