How to use the Circle of Fifths to write songs
The Circle looks much like a clock. Just like there are 12 hours on a clock, there are 12 notes on the Circle.
The Circle of Fifths isn’t a technique like modulation or chord substitution. It’s a way of understanding the essential elements of western music: the notes, the intervals, the chords, and the relationships between them.
It’s the relationships between chords that make a chord progression. Referring to the Circle of Fifths can help you discover interesting chord progressions, particularly when you’re stuck for what the next chord wants to be.
Moving clockwise, each note is a fifth above the last one. A fifth, as we know, is the third note of a major or minor triad (3-note chord), and the fifth note of any major or minor scale. For example, the C-major chord is C-E-G. The G is a fifth above C, and one “hour” past C on the Circle of Fifths. Similarly, an A-major chord is A-C#-E. The E is a fifth above A, and one segment after A on the Circle. This pattern holds true for any starting point on the Circle of Fifths. And it comes full circle; if you start on C and go up a fifth 12 times, you’ll be back to C.
More lessons here – https://bit.ly/3CGMp90
Why are fifths so important in music?
For example, in the key of C-major, the 6 major and minor chords are:
I Chord ii Chord iii Chord IV Chord V Chord vi Chord
C-major D-minor E-minor F-major G-major A-minor
How many songs in C use a variation of these 6 chords?
Many popular songs use only 3 or 4 of them. Now look at the Circle of Fifths. The chords touching the C-major are the other five major and minor chords in the key of C major.
Just like the notes, this hold true for whatever key you’re in, or your base starting point on the Circle. In the key of G, all the chords touching the G correspond to the other major and minor chords in that key.
If you interested on learning piano in a easy way. Try the online lessons right here – https://bit.ly/3CGMp90. Where you can find:
- All styles of piano covered – pop, blues, jazz, ballads, improvisation, classical.
- Play-by-ear and learn to read music at the same time
- Filled with tricks, tips and formulas to help people sound great right from the start
- Easy to follow yet comprehensive
- 10 clearly laid out ebooks – 600 pages in total
- 200 videos – over 7 hours in total – 500 audio lessons
- The video and audio can be accessed right on the page you are viewing so you don’t have to open separate programmes
- Instant download or delivered anywhere in the world on a CD ROM
Leave a Reply