Music students
Learn key signatures by seeing and hearing them, quiz yourself on relative minors and check theory homework in seconds.
Interactive Circle of Fifths: Tap a Key, Hear Its Chords
ToMIDI is a free interactive circle of fifths. Tap any of the 24 keys to see its key signature and scale on a staff, its relative minor or major, the seven chords of the key ready to play, and its closest neighbours on the wheel. Switch on Camelot or Open Key codes if you mix by key, string chords into a progression, and export it as a MIDI file. It runs in your browser with nothing to install and no sign-up.
- All 24 Keys
- Hear Every Chord
- Free, No Sign-up
- Export MIDI
Free · runs in your browser
←→ by fifths · ↑↓ relative key · 1–7 play and add a chord · Space play the progression · S scale
The frame holds the six chords of the key: major chords outside, minor inside, the diminished chord in the centre ring.
Selected key
C major
No sharps or flats
Transpose
Camelot 8BOpen Key 1d
Scale
Chords in C major
TonicSubdominantDominantClick a chord to hear it and add it to the progression.
Progression
IC
VG
viAm
IVF
Beats per chord
What Is the Circle of Fifths?
The circle of fifths is a map of the 12 major keys and their relative minors, laid out like a clock so that each step clockwise moves up a perfect fifth, seven semitones: C, G, D, A, E, B, F sharp, then round through D flat, A flat, E flat, B flat and F back to C. Every step clockwise adds one sharp to the key signature, and every step counter-clockwise adds one flat while moving up a perfect fourth. Keys side by side share all but one note, which is why they sound related. That makes the circle of fifths the quickest way to read key signatures, find the chords of a key and plan a key change. Some players simply call it the 5ths circle. To count the semitones of any other step, use the interval calculator.
Explore the CircleWhy the Circle of Fifths Feels Confusing at First
On paper the circle packs a lot into one picture. These are the parts that trip people up, and what the interactive version does about each:
- Two rings, two kinds of key: the outer ring is major, the inner ring is the relative minor with the same key signature. Tap either one.
- The bottom has double names: F sharp major and G flat major are the same pitches written with six sharps or six flats; switch on Enharmonics to see both spellings.
- Sharps go one way, flats the other: clockwise counts sharps, counter-clockwise counts flats, and the staff shows exactly which notes they fall on.
- A printed chart is silent: it tells you G sits next to C, but only hearing the chords tells you why those keys sound close.
Why Use This Interactive Circle of Fifths
A circle of fifths chart you can hear and play, rather than a poster you have to decode.
All 24 keys in one wheel
Twelve major keys on the outer ring, their twelve relative minors inside, with the number of sharps or flats beside each one.
Key signatures on a staff
Tap a key and its sharps or flats appear on a real staff, in the order a printed score uses, with the scale written out and ready to play.
Chords you can hear
The seven chords of the key, as triads or sevenths, with Roman numerals and tonic, subdominant or dominant labels. Tap one to hear it in its key.
Neighbours at a glance
Relative, parallel, dominant and subdominant keys sit one tap away, so the closest keys for a key change are always in view.
Camelot and Open Key codes
One switch puts the Camelot or Open Key code of every key on the wheel, for DJs who plan harmonic mixes and producers who sort samples by key.
Progressions to MIDI
Tap chords in order or start from a common progression, play it back with smooth voice leading and export a .mid file. Free, all in your browser.
How to Use the Circle of Fifths in Four Steps
The same four moves answer most questions people bring to the circle.
Pick a major key on the outer ring or a minor key on the inner ring, or step around with the arrow keys. Turn on rotation and the wheel spins your key to the top.
The staff shows its sharps or flats, and the panel names the relative key. A minor and C major, for example, both have none.
Tap the chords of the key, from I to vii° in a major key, or press 1 to 7. Each one plays and joins the progression.
Set the tempo and beats per chord, play the progression (Space) or loop it, then export it as a MIDI file.
Step 1 · Tap a key
Circle of Fifths Features for Writing and Practice
Each feature answers a question the circle was drawn to answer, and lets you hear the answer too.
Key signatures, drawn the way scores draw them
Tap A major and three sharps appear on the staff, F sharp, C sharp and G sharp, followed by the scale you can play with one click, so the key signature of A major is never a guess. Reading backwards works too, and it is how to identify key signatures on sheet music: count the sharps or flats, then find that count on the circle of fifths. Three sharps point to A major or F sharp minor; the chords of the piece tell you which.
Show a Key SignatureEvery chord in the key, ready to play
A major key holds three major chords (I, IV and V), three minor chords (ii, iii and vi) and one diminished chord (vii). On the wheel a frame holds them: I, IV and V side by side outside, ii, iii and vi right below them inside. Switch to sevenths for Imaj7 to viiø7, and in minor keys keep the major V of harmonic minor. To name a chord you are holding instead, use the chord finder.
Play the ChordsRelative minors and closest neighbours
Every major key shares its signature with a minor key three semitones lower: C major with A minor, G major with E minor. The keys either side, the dominant one fifth up and the subdominant one fifth down, differ by a single note, so moving to them sounds smooth. The parallel key shares the tonic instead: C major and C minor. Planning a key change? Start with a neighbour. Need the key of an existing song first? The key finder reads it from audio.
Find a Relative MinorCamelot codes for harmonic mixing
The Camelot wheel is the circle of fifths renumbered for DJs: C major is 8B, A minor is 8A, and a step clockwise adds one to the number. Switch the labels to Camelot or Open Key to read both systems at once, or open the full Camelot wheel for mixing rules and compatible keys.
Turn On CamelotA small progression builder with MIDI export
Tap chords from the key in the order you want them, or start from a preset such as I V vi IV, ii V I or the Canon in D pattern. Set the tempo from 50 to 180 BPM and 1, 2 or 4 beats per chord, loop it, and export a .mid file that opens in FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro or any notation app. For longer progressions, rhythms and more styles, move on to the chord progression generator.
Build a ProgressionCircle of Fifths Example: G Major in One Tap
One step clockwise from C. Here is everything the circle of fifths shows when you tap G major.
What you are looking at
G major has one sharp, F sharp, and shares it with its relative minor, E minor (Camelot 9B and 9A). Its seven chords are G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em and F sharp diminished. The neighbours are C major, one flat fewer, which is the IV side, and D major, one sharp more, the V side. Play G, C, D and G in the progression strip and you hear the I, IV, V shape that sits behind thousands of songs.
Four Ways to Use the Circle of Fifths in a Song
Rules of thumb you can hear on the wheel above, not just read about.
Three chords, side by side
The I, IV and V of any major key are one key and its two neighbours. In D major that is D, G and A: enough for a whole song.
ii, V, I runs counter-clockwise
Dm, G7 and C step one position at a time towards C on the wheel. Moving that way feels like coming home.
Change key to a neighbour
A key one step away shares six of its seven notes, so a song can move there with a single pivot chord and barely a bump.
Transpose by turning the wheel
Turn every chord the same number of steps and the progression keeps its shape in the new key. For a whole score, use transpose sheet music.
Interactive Circle of Fifths vs a Printed Chart
A poster on the wall has its place. Here is what changes when the circle of fifths can play.
| This siteToMIDI | Printed chart or poster | |
|---|---|---|
| Key signatures | Drawn on a staff for the key you tap | Counts, sometimes small staffs |
| Relative minors | Yes | Yes |
| Chords of each key | All seven, with Roman numerals | On some charts |
| Hear the chords | Yes | No |
| Camelot codes | One switch | Rarely |
| Build a progression | Yes, with MIDI export | No |
| Works without a screen | No | Yes |
Who Uses the Circle of Fifths
From a first theory lesson to a club set, the circle of fifths keeps coming back.
Songwriters
Find chords that belong together, try a key change to a neighbour and export the progression as MIDI to build on.
Guitarists
See which chords live in the key of a song before you learn it, and practise them around the circle. To name a shape you already play, open the chord finder.
Pianists
Work through scales and cadences around the circle, one sharp or flat at a time, and hear every diatonic chord before you play it.
DJs and producers
Read Camelot codes and the circle of fifths side by side to choose keys that blend. Have a track in an unknown key? Turn it into notes with our audio to MIDI converter, or read its key with the key finder.
Teachers
Project the wheel in class, tap a key and let students hear its chords. Far quicker than drawing the circle on the board.
Circle of Fifths FAQ
The questions people ask most about the circle of fifths, answered plainly.
What is the circle of fifths?
It is a diagram of all 12 major keys and their relative minors arranged so that each step clockwise rises a perfect fifth. Neighbouring keys differ by one sharp or flat, which makes the circle of fifths a map of key signatures, related keys and the chords that work together.
How do you read the circle of fifths?
Start at C at the top, which has no sharps or flats. Going clockwise, each key adds a sharp: G has one, D two, A three, and so on to C sharp with seven. Going counter-clockwise, each key adds a flat: F has one, B flat two, down to C flat with seven. The inner ring gives the relative minor of each major key.
Why is it called the circle of fifths?
Because each step is a perfect fifth, and after 12 of them you arrive back at the note you started on, closing the circle. Read the other way, each step is a perfect fourth, so some teachers call it the circle of fourths.
How do I find the relative minor of a major key?
Tap the major key: its relative minor sits on the inner ring right below it. You can also count three semitones down from the major tonic, so C major pairs with A minor and E flat major with C minor. Relative keys share the same key signature.
How to read a key signature with the circle of fifths?
Count the sharps or flats at the start of the staff, then count the same number of steps from C: clockwise for sharps, counter-clockwise for flats. Two sharps lands on D major, four flats on A flat major. That key or its relative minor is your key.
What are the key signatures in order?
Sharps are added in the order F, C, G, D, A, E, B, and flats in the reverse order, B, E, A, D, G, C, F. Both orders are themselves trips around the circle of fifths, which is why the circle predicts which notes a signature contains.
How do I find the chords in a key?
Tap the key and the panel lists all seven chords with Roman numerals. In a major key the pattern is always major, minor, minor, major, major, minor and diminished, so C major gives C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and B diminished.
What are enharmonic keys on the circle of fifths?
Keys that sound the same but are written differently. At the bottom of the circle, B major (five sharps) equals C flat major (seven flats), F sharp major equals G flat major, and C sharp major equals D flat major. Composers usually pick the spelling with fewer accidentals; the Enharmonics switch shows both.
How do I use the circle of fifths to change key?
Move to a neighbour first: a key one step away shares six notes with yours, so a single shared chord can carry the change. Keys further around the circle sound more dramatic, which can be exactly what a final chorus needs.
How do I memorize the circle of fifths?
Learn the order of sharps with a sentence such as "Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle", then read it backwards for the flats. Or rebuild the circle yourself: start on C and keep counting up five letter names. Tapping round the wheel above and hearing each key helps it stick.
Is the circle of fifths the same as the Camelot wheel?
Same layout, different labels. The Camelot wheel numbers the keys 1 to 12 around the circle of fifths and adds A for minor and B for major, so DJs can match keys by number. Switch the wheel labels to Camelot to see both, or open the Camelot wheel.
Can I hear the chords and export them as MIDI?
Yes. Tap any chord to hear it, add chords to the progression to play them in order with smooth voice leading, and export the progression as a .mid file for your DAW or the MIDI editor.
Is this circle of fifths free?
Yes. There is no account and no limit, and it works in any modern browser on a computer, tablet or phone. Nothing you play is uploaded.
How to find the key signature of a song?
If you have the sheet music, count the sharps or flats and look them up on the circle. If you only have the recording, the key finder reads the key from the audio, then tap that key here to see its signature and chords.
More Key and Chord Tools Beside the Circle of Fifths
Put Your Key Into Practice
Write in it, play in it or move a song into it.
- Online MIDI EditorFix notes in a piano roll and export.
- Song to Piano NotesGet piano notes and sheet music for a song.
- MIDI to Sheet MusicTurn a MIDI file into printable notation.
- Online MetronomeA steady click with accents and tap tempo.
- Online TunerTune guitar, bass, ukulele or violin.
- Pitch DetectorSing or play a note and see its name.
Ready to Explore Every Key?
Tap a key on the circle of fifths above to see its signature, hear its chords and turn them into a progression. Free, interactive and right in your browser.