The circle of fifths is the simplest map of how every key, chord, and note connects. This interactive version lets you hear it, not just read about it. Tap any key to play its notes, see the chords that fit, find its relative minor, and build your own progressions on guitar or piano.
👉 Tap any key to hear it and see what's inside it.
Tap any slice of the wheel to begin.
The circle of fifths is a chart that arranges all 12 musical keys in a circle, with each key a fifth apart from the next. Picture a clock with 12 spots. Move clockwise and each key adds one sharp (#), so the notes get a little higher and brighter. Move counter-clockwise and each key adds one flat (♭).
The payoff is simple: keys that sit next to each other share almost all of the same notes, so they sound good together. That is why songwriters, producers, and guitar players use the wheel to pick chords that fit, change keys smoothly, and understand why songs feel the way they do.
The outer ring shows the major keys. The inner ring shows the minor keys. C major sits at the top with no sharps and no flats, which makes it the natural starting point. Each step clockwise (C, G, D, A and so on) climbs by a perfect fifth and adds a sharp. Each step counter-clockwise (C, F, B flat, E flat and so on) drops by a fifth and adds a flat. Keys directly across from each other are the most distant, which is useful when you want a dramatic change.
Every major key has a partner minor key built from the exact same notes. They are two moods made from the same ingredients. C major and A minor use identical notes but feel completely different, one open and bright, the other darker and more emotional. On the wheel, each major key sits in the outer ring with its relative minor tucked just inside it, so you can switch between the two without learning anything new.
The circle is also the fastest way to remember key signatures. Going clockwise, sharps are added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B. Going counter-clockwise, flats are added in the reverse order: B, E, A, D, G, C, F. So if a key has three sharps, you already know they are F sharp, C sharp, and G sharp, with no memorizing required.
Most popular songs pull their chords from a single neighborhood on the wheel. Because adjacent keys and chords share notes, you can lean on the circle to write progressions that sound finished and natural. Tap the built-in popular progressions to hear classic moves instantly, or use Build your own progression to stack chords into a sequence, loop it, and adjust the tempo until it feels right. It is the quickest way to turn theory into something you can play.
Switch between guitar and piano with one tap so the sounds match whatever you play. Guitar players can use the wheel to find which chords fit a key, spot easy transposition options, and write parts that resolve cleanly. Piano players get the same map for keys, scales, and chord families. Either way, you are hearing the relationships, not just reading them off a chart.
The name comes from the interval between each step. Move one position clockwise and you jump up by a perfect fifth, which is why C leads to G, G leads to D, and so on. Keep going and after 12 steps you arrive right back where you started, completing the circle.
It is a circular chart of all 12 musical keys, arranged so that neighboring keys sound good together. Think of it as a clock that shows you which notes and chords belong with each other.
Pick a key, look at the keys next to it for chords that fit, and use the inner ring to find the matching minor key. On this page you can tap any key to hear it and build a progression from there.
Because each step around the circle moves up by a musical interval called a perfect fifth. After 12 fifths you land back on the key you started with.
The relative minor is the minor key that uses the exact same notes as a major key. A minor is the relative minor of C major. On the wheel it sits just inside its major partner.
Chords that sit close together on the wheel share notes, so they blend smoothly. Building a progression from one neighborhood of the circle is a reliable way to write something that sounds complete.
Sharps are added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B as you move clockwise. Flats follow the reverse order, B, E, A, D, G, C, F, as you move counter-clockwise.
No. This version is built for beginners. You tap, you hear, and the notes and chords are labeled for you.
