Interactive circle of fifths
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C major selected. no sharps or flats. Relative minor: A minor.
Outer ring: major keys · inner ring: relative minors. Neighbors share all but one note.
How guitarists use the circle of fifths
The circle of fifths arranges the 12 keys so that each step clockwise is a perfect fifth up — C to G, G to D, and so on. Each step also adds exactly one sharp to the key signature (or, moving counter-clockwise, one flat). That single fact makes the circle a map of how related two keys are: neighbors share six of their seven notes, while keys on opposite sides share almost nothing.
For key changes, the circle tells you where a song can travel smoothly. Moving to an adjacent key — or to the relative minor on the inner ring — keeps most of the chords in common, which is why so many bridges shift to the IV or V key. If a song sits awkwardly for your voice, the circle plus a transpose tool shows which nearby key keeps the chord shapes familiar.
For capo choices, read the circle backwards: a capo raises every open shape by one fret, one semitone at a time. Playing G-shape chords with a capo at the 2nd fret puts you in A — two steps clockwise. Pick the target key on the wheel, then find the open-chord key whose shapes you know best and count the frets between them.
For chord families, each key's seven diatonic chords are the ones that sound at home together. The wheel shows them with Roman numerals, so a progression you learn in one key — say I–V–vi–IV — transfers to any other by swapping the letter names.
| Major key | Relative minor | Key signature |
|---|---|---|
| C major | A minor | no sharps or flats |
| G major | E minor | 1 sharp — F♯ |
| D major | B minor | 2 sharps — F♯, C♯ |
| A major | F♯ minor | 3 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯ |
| E major | C♯ minor | 4 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯ |
| B major | G♯ minor | 5 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯ |
| F♯ major | D♯ minor | 6 sharps — F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯, A♯, E♯ |
| D♭ major | B♭ minor | 5 flats — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ |
| A♭ major | F minor | 4 flats — B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭ |
| E♭ major | C minor | 3 flats — B♭, E♭, A♭ |
| B♭ major | G minor | 2 flats — B♭, E♭ |
| F major | D minor | 1 flat — B♭ |
Keep practicing
Knowing which chords live in a key is half the work — hearing when you drift outside it is the other half, and that's where a coach earns its keep. Start coaching →