The Guitarists Guide To The Circle of Fifths (GOOD)

Introduction 5
Notes in Music 7
Circle Fact 1: The Circle is created from ascending perfect fifths 10
The Major Scale 10
The Perfect Fifth 12
Why ‘Perfect’ 5th? 13
Circle Fact 2: Each clockwise step from C adds one sharp note to the Key Signature (The Sharp
Side) 17
C Major 18
G Major 20
D Major 21
A Major 24
E Major 25
B Major 26
F♯ Major 27
C♯ Major 30
Summary 32
Test Your Knowledge 32
Circle Fact 3: Each counterclockwise step from C adds one flat note to the Key Signature (The
Flat Side) 33
F Major 36
B♭ Major 39
E♭ Major 40
A♭ Major 41
D♭ Major 43
G♭ Major 44
C♭ Major 46
Summary 47
The Guitarist's Guide to the Circle of Fifths Page 1 of 182 © Ry Naylor Guitar
Circle Fact 4: There are three enharmonic notes 48
Other enharmonic equivalents 50
Why no G♯ major scale? 50
Using The Circle in your Guitar Practice (Part 1) 52

Note Finding Exercises 52
‘Root of the Day’ 53
Playing exercises through The Circle 54
Circle Fact 5: The order of sharp and flat notes is in The Circle 57
How to quickly work out any key signature 59
The Circle on the Guitar Fretboard 61
Summary 65
Circle Fact 6: The Relative Minor is in the Inner Layer of The Circle 66
What is the relative minor? 66
Minor Scale Degrees 67
How to quickly identify the relative minor on the fretboard 69
Circle Fact 7: Chords in a Key are found together in The Circle 72
The Primary Chords (I-IV-V) 72
I-IV-V on the Fretboard 75
Minor Key Primary Chords (i-iv-v) 76
All Chords in a Major Key 78
All Chords in a Minor Key 80
Can’t we add the diminished chord? 84
30 Keys 86
Summary 86
Circle Fact 8: The Circle is invaluable for songwriting and music analysis 88
Song Analysis / Learning by Ear 88
Chord Progressions in a Key 90
‘Two-Five-One’ Progressions 92
Secondary Dominants in The Circle 94
Borrowing chords from the parallel minor Key 95
Counterclockwise Circle Progressions 99
Clockwise Circle Progressions 102
Using The Circle in your Guitar Practice (Part 2) 104
Circle Fact 9: The Pentatonic Scales are in The Circle 107
Major Pentatonic Scale 107
Minor Pentatonic Scale 110
Circle Fact 10: The Circle is a guide in the study of Intervals (Advanced concept) 114
Intervals around The Circle 114
Interval Insight 116
9 is the Magic Number 119
The Tritone / Tritone Substitution 120
Circle Fact 11: Chord ‘Shapes’ can be formed in The Circle (Advanced concept) 124
Power Chords 124
Sus Chords and Quartal Harmony 125
Triads 130
Seventh Chords (4 segments) 135
Tritone Substitution (Part 2) 139
Diminished Seventh 142
5-Segment Chords? 146
Circle Fact 12: The Circle is a guide in the study of Major Scale Modes (Advanced concept) 151
Brightest to Darkest 151
Seven Modes from the same Root note 157
C Lydian 158
C Ionian (C Major Scale) 159
C Mixolydian 160
C Dorian 161
C Aeolian (C Natural Minor) 162
C Phrygian 163
C Locrian 164
Final Words 166
Appendix 1 167
Appendix 2 170
Appendix 3 172
Chords in a Major Key 172
Chords in a Minor Key 173
Circle Intervals 174
Circle Chords 175
Circle Scales 177
Appendix 4 - Test Your Knowledge Answers 178
Introduction
Upon starting your guitar theory journey you learn that music is played in different keys, some of
which are bright and happy (major) whilst others are the opposite, sad and brooding (minor).
Each key has a specific note which is more important than the rest. The name for this special note is
the ‘tonic’ or tonal centre. You’ll more commonly see it named the Root.
From any of the 12 chromatic Root notes you can form a 7-note major or minor scale and, from each
of those seven notes, you can form seven chords (the seven chords in a key).
Already that’s a lot to remember!
But scales are complicated things because, in order to get the familiar sound of the major scale from
any Root note, sometimes you’ll need to make certain notes in the scale either sharp or flat.
More complications.
Except it’s not really that complicated for guitar, because we work on a grid of horizontal and vertical
lines - the guitar fretboard. Scale patterns all look the same, whatever the Root note is!
That’s one huge benefit of the guitar. Other musicians and instruments don’t share this luxury.
But this apparent luxury can make us lazy and, to be a well-rounded musician able to communicate
with other players, we really need to know about scales, chords and keys.
So, how can you easily remember the notes of any major scale? The Circle of Fifths.
What about notes of any minor scale? Yep, it’s in the Circle of Fifths.
How can you effortlessly recall the chords in a key? Take a quick look at the Circle of Fifths.
How do you know which chords always work together? The Circle of Fifths.
What about learning the notes of the major scale modes? Yep, they’re in the Circle of Fifths.
See where I’m going with this?
Every single major and minor key and the notes and chords they contain can be found at a glance
using the Circle of Fifths.
It’s like the Periodical Table of music. It’s a music theory cheat sheet!
It’s also an invaluable tool for being strategic and musical in your guitar practice.
In this guide, written specifically with the guitarist in mind, I’ll take you on a journey of discovery
breaking down every nugget of knowledge that you can get from the Circle of Fifths.
And know that, in writing this guide, there were new discoveries for me that I hadn’t even realised
were in there!
It’s a beautiful thing and you’ve made a very good decision in taking the time to study it, because it
will save you so much time in your future guitar endeavours.
Whilst you may already be a seasoned guitar theorist, I’d recommend working through the study
guide in its entirety.
You are about to learn 12 ‘Circle Facts’ -12 key topics of insight that The Circle of Fifths provides
(once you know where to look!). These build progressively in complexity, with Circle Facts 10-12
aimed at the more seasoned guitar theorist.
There will be opportunities to review what you learn at each stage with my ‘Test Your Knowledge’
quizzes. (answers in Appendix 4)
Appendix 2 provides you with some blank templates to complete and annotate as you work through
the book. I’d highly recommend printing some of these (and the complete Circle in Appendix 1) as a
reference.
Let’s do this!
Ry
April 2022
Notes in Music
There are 12 different pitches (sounds) in Western Music that we call notes.
These notes are named by the seven letters of the musical alphabet (the white keys on a piano), plus
the five sharp/flat notes that are found in between them (the black keys).
These appear in order on the piano from left to right and horizontally up a single string on the guitar,
from the nut to the guitar body.
The 12 notes on the piano keyboard
The 12 notes on the guitar fretboard (String 5(A))
The order of notes on a guitar string is always the same, but with each string beginning on a different
note in the sequence:
The guitar fretboard
Since this sequence of notes can repeat through several octaves, it’s more beneficial to view it as a
repeating circle. There are 12 notes like the 12 numbers of a clock face:
The Note Clock
Clockwise around the Note Clock is going higher in pitch. Counter-clockwise is the opposite, moving
lower in pitch. One full rotation of the Note Clock, passing through all 12 chromatic notes is the
distance of one octave.
Octave - The interval of an 8th; the distance between the first and eighth notes (which share the same
letter-name) of any major or minor scale. For example, A to the next A above or below. Contained within
any octave are thirteen notes separated by twelve half steps i.e. twelve frets of the guitar.
There is huge value in knowing how the notes relate to one another in this way, particularly when it
comes to memorising the notes of the guitar fretboard. That said…
From a music theory standpoint, it’s not the best way to do things.
It turns out there is a much better way of arranging the 12 chromatic notes which beautifully shows
the relationships between the scales and keys that are created from these notes.
That arrangement is, of course, The Circle of Fifths (‘The Circle’).
Circle Fact 1: The Circle is created from ascending perfect fifths
Instead of a half-step clockwise movement around a circle like the Note Clock, each clockwise step
around The Circle is a movement up a perfect fifth.
A perfect fifth is an interval, the musical term to define the distance between two notes. This
distance is measured from the lower in pitch of the two notes.
Our ruler to measure the distance is the major scale and the units of measurement on this major
scale ruler are whole steps and half steps.
The Major Scale
The major scale is an ascending sequence of seven notes (the eighth note is the starting note
repeated one octave higher).
All seven letters of the musical alphabet are present in any major scale.
This is important so I’ll say it again… all seven letters of the musical alphabet are present in
any major scale.
The starting note of the scale is named the ‘tonic’ and, from one note to the next, there is a distance
of either two frets (a ‘whole step’ or ‘tone’) or one fret (a ‘half step’ or ‘semitone’).
Tonic Vs. Root
‘Tonic’ refers to the note in a scale (G is the tonic of the G major scale).
‘Root' refers to the note upon which you form a chord (G is the root of a G major chord).
For ease (as it is used more commonly by online instructors) I will refer to the tonic as the Root from
this point forward.
There is only one major scale that has no sharps or flats, the C major scale.
You will hear that familiar “Do-Re-Mi…” sound when you play one octave of the musical alphabet,
beginning and ending at C.
C Major Scale on String 2(B)
The C Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
The numbers written above the scale are known as scale degrees. These are a shorthand way to
identify how each note in the scale relates back to the Root.
Identifying the distance from one note to the next forms a sequence of whole steps and half steps:
The Major Scale Formula
This pattern is commonly called the ‘major scale formula’:
Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half
The major scale can be played from any note, but the pattern of whole steps and half steps must be
strictly kept.
The Perfect Fifth
The fifth interval upon which The Circle is based is the distance between the 1st and 5th notes of a
major scale:
Scale Degree Interval Name Distance
C to D 2 Major 2nd 2 frets
C to E 3 Major 3rd 4 frets
C to F 4 Perfect 4th 5 frets
C to G 5 Perfect 5th 7 frets
C to A 6 Major 6th 9 frets
C to B 7 Major 7th 11 frets
C to C 1/8 Perfect Octave 12 frets
A perfect 5th will always span 5 musical alphabet letters (C D E F G) and is seven frets
horizontally on the same string.
Perfect 5th horizontally on the same string
Why ‘Perfect’ 5th?
The fifth of the major scale is identified as a ‘perfect 5th’ because, when played together, the two
notes sound good together. They are said to be ‘consonant’.
Consonance is the sounding together of two or more notes which ‘agree’ with each other and sound
pleasing to our ears. The opposite of consonance is ‘dissonance’.
This consonance of the perfect fifth is found within a power chord. Technically, in its basic form, a
power chord is a perfect 5th.
Power Chord = R-5

(Root + Perfect 5th above Root)
C5 Power Chord = C-G

It’s the reason why the number ‘5' is assigned to the chord name.
You may be familiar with (what I like to call) the extended power chord shape, in which you add the
octave Root note:
Within these extended power chord shapes is the interesting thing about the perfect 5th.
If you take out the lower octave, you’re left with an inverted (upside down) power chord (C5/G - C5
chord over G bass):
When you invert a power chord (perfect 5th) you get the interval of a perfect 4th (when you measure
the distance from the G note up to C).
C to G is a perfect 5th. G up to to C is a perfect 4th:
C D E F G = Perfect 5th
G A B C = Perfect 4th
This is another reason why the 5th and 4th intervals are named perfect- they remain perfect
when inverted.
The Perfect 4th is also an essential part of The Circle as we shall see later on.
C is, therefore, the fourth note of the G major scale:
The G Major Scale
Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
G - A - B - C - D - E - F! - G
Did you notice that the G major scale has an F! (“F sharp”) note as its 7? This is to ensure that the
major scale formula is correct:
G Major Scale on String 3(G)
If you were to play an F (F natural) note instead of F!, the order of the whole and half steps doesn’t
work for the sound of the major scale and you end up playing a different type of scale.
The Musical Alphabet from G
Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Half Whole
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - ? - R
G - A - B - C - D - E - F - G
This is why different major scales have sharps and flats, depending on which note is the Root.
But how do you know which (and how many) sharp or flat notes are added to a specific major scale?
Why, The Circle of course!
Circle Fact 2: Each clockwise step from C adds one sharp note to
the Key Signature (The Sharp Side)
Key Signatures define which notes of a scale will be either sharp or flat (there will never be a mix
of both sharp and flat notes). For example:
• The key signature of C major is no sharps or flats.

• The key signature of G major is one sharp, F!.
• The key signature of D major is two sharps, F! and C!
Each key signature can be seen at the beginning of a piece of music, between the treble clef (! )
and the time signature (the stacked numbers which resemble a fraction):
Example Key Signatures
The key signature tells the musician playing in, for example, the key of D major that any time they see
an F or a C note in the sheet music, they should be played as an F!"and"C!.
It’s basically a time and ink-saving practice to avoid a sharp symbols being written before every
single F and C note in the music.
A working knowledge of key signatures is essential for all musicians as every key (other than C
major) will contain one or more sharp or flat notes.
A pianist needs to know which black keys they will need to play in any given piece of music.
As guitarists we operate in a grid of vertical frets and horizontal strings so key signatures serve no
initial use, leading many players to overlook their importance. Scale patterns on the guitar fretboard
look identical.
The scale pattern for a C major scale is identical to an F! major scale. It’s simply a case of starting
on the correct fret:
The major scale has an identical pattern on the Fretboard
Guitarists also aren’t generally reliant on reading sheet music. We tend to use number-based guitar
tablature (‘guitar tabs’). Pianists need to learn their notes and key signatures to function at even a
beginner level.
Key signatures are important, but they needn’t be complicated. We’re going to learn how to instantly
recall any key signature with a glance at The Circle.
So let’s start building it!
C Major
We begin with a blank circle divided into 12 segments, one for each of the 12 musical notes.
We’ve established that the C major scale has no sharp or flats so it’s placed at the 12 o’clock
position. It’s like a neutral starting point:
THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Every segment in The Circle can represent each of the following:
• Note
• Chord
• Key
This first C represents the C note, the C major chord and the key of C major.
Another way to think about it is C is the tonal centre around which C major melodies and chords in
the key of C major will revolve.
From the C segment, each clockwise step around The Circle will add one additional sharp note to the
key signature until ALL the notes of the scale have become sharp notes.
For this reason, the right side of The Circle (from 12 o’clock to 7 o’clock) is often identified as ‘The
Sharp Side’.
Each clockwise step around The Circle will be moving up a perfect 5th and, if you continue that
sequence through all 12 notes, you will eventually return back to C and close the loop.
G Major
G is the 5 of a C power chord and the 5th note of the C major scale. You may be familiar with this
major scale pattern which can be formed around the power chord shape:
C Major Scale (Root string 6(E))
Numbers beside the note heads in the music are suggested fingerings
G is added to The Circle at the 1 o’clock position:
Again, remember that this G in The Circle is representing a G

note, a G major chord and the key of G major.
We saw earlier that the C and G major scale were very closely
related, the only difference being an F!" note in the G major
scale, which can be seen in the major scale pattern below:
G Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
That very close relationship between C major and G major is reflected in their proximity on The Circle.
Six of the seven notes of the C major scale are found in G major.
G major key signature
One clockwise step around The Circle has added one sharp to the key signature, the note F!.
D Major
Referring to the G major scale pattern above, look at the power chord shape once again. It gives you
the next note in The Circle:
G5 Power Chord
The 5th fret of string 5(A) is the note D, the 5 of a G5 power

chord, and the 5th note of the G major scale. D is added to The
Circle at the 2 o’clock position:
Being next to one another, the D major scale will share 6 notes
in common with the G major scale. Which note is different?
The seventh major scale degree.
The rule is that a clockwise movement around the sharp side of

The Circle will add a sharp note to the signature and the note
which is sharpened is the 7 of the new segment’s major scale.
Whatever the next note is, go down one alphabet letter and you know it will be sharpened.
From a D note, the musical alphabet letter immediately before D is C, so a D major scale will have an
F!"and a C!:
The D Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
D - E - F! - G - A - B - C! - D
The F! note from the G major scale is carried over into the D major scale, whose 7 is then also
sharpened. The key signature of D major is 2 sharps, F! and C!.
D major key signature
Let’s see the scale pattern on the fretboard to confirm this:
D Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
It’s important to state here that the 7 of the D major scale is named as C! and not D♭ because all
seven letters of the musical alphabet are present in any major scale and each letter must
appear once and only once.
There must be a C note as the seventh scale degree and the scale cannot contain both a D and a D♭
note (the other possible name for the note a whole step above B):
NOT the D Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - ♭R - R
D - E - F! - G - A - B - D♭ - D
Let’s continue and complete the Sharp Side of The Circle.
A Major
What’s a perfect 5th above D? Let’s check the D5 power chord:
It’s an A note, so we add it to The Circle at the 3 o’clock

position:
Following the rules that we’ve now established, one more sharp
is added for the A major scale and it will be the 7 of the scale,
the G! note. Again, let’s see the scale pattern to confirm this:
A Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
A major key signature
As we progress from this point, I’ll be adding the key signatures to the notation above the tab, so look
out for that.
A Major Scale with its key signature
The sharp notes of the key signature are always arranged at the beginning of the music in the order in
which they appear in The Circle (F!, C!, G! etc…)
E Major
I think you’re getting the hang of it now. Check the scale pattern and power chord shape of the A
scale to see that a 5th above A is the note E. It gets added at the 4 o’clock position:
One more sharp is added for the E major scale and it will be the 7 of the scale, the D! note.
E Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
B Major
The 5 of the E major scale, a perfect 5th above the note E will be…B. It gets added at the 5 o’clock
position:
We’re now up to five(!) sharp notes in the B major scale, A! being the one added (always that musical
alphabet letter immediately below the Root).
B Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
F! Major
Now…things get just a little bit trickier here. You might think that the next note in The Circle would
be F, (B C D E F) but…
We’ve had an F!"in the key signatures since G major, and that won’t change for B major. The 5 of the
B major scale is F!#"which we add at the 6 o’clock position:
Look at the scale pattern for F!"major. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That is indeed an E!$"
F! Major Scale (Root String 6(E))

"
%But, that can’t be possible!’ you say. All the teachers you’ve ever learned from have always said that
there is no E!#"because a half step above E is the note F. That’s one of the two half steps in the
musical alphabet:
E! doesn’t exist…does it?

"
Remember the rules of the major scale:
• The major scale formula must be respected (whole-whole-half-whole-whole-whole-half)
• Each letter of the musical alphabet must appear once
• Each letter of the musical alphabet must appear only once
For the F! major scale to work theoretically, the 7 must be an E!, not F:
The F Sharp Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
F! - G! - A! - B - C! - D! - E! - F!
You’re so rarely going to see the key of F! major, but it does exist and it is valuable to know,
especially for things like understanding chord construction.
You will see an F!m (F! minor) or F!m7 (F! minor seventh) chord in your travels, and if you know that
a minor triad spelling is R-♭3-5 and a minor seventh spelling is R-♭3-5-♭7, it helps you to
understand why an F!m7 contains the notes of F!-A-C!-E:
F!m and F!m7 chords (notice the ♭3 and ♭7 intervals)
C! Major
Ready to break another music theory rule. Here comes C!, a perfect 5th above F!…
A quick way to remember the C! major scale is to simply take C major (no sharps) and sharpen
everything!
C! major has all seven notes of its scale sharpened, including its 7, B!.
C! Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
Yes! B! can also exist and must exist for the C! major scale to work.
The C Sharp Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
C! - D! - E! - F! - G! - A! - B! - C!
Again, you are rarely (if at all) likely to see the key of C! major but, like F!"major, it is valuable to
understand the theory of the scale for a better understanding of minor scales and chords from a C!"
Root note.
And with C! added, The Sharp Side is complete!
Summary
The ‘Sharp Side’ of The Circle
Each clockwise step around The Circle moves up a perfect 5th and adds one sharp note to the key
signature of the note in the new segment. That additional sharp note is the 7 of the major scale of
this new note.
That brings us to the end of ‘The Sharp Side’ but The Circle remains unfinished (gasp!). There are still
another four segments to complete.
We can close the gap by working from C once again but, this time, working counter-clockwise to close
the loop.
Test Your Knowledge
Before you proceed, take a moment to review and test yourself by trying to complete The Sharp Side
on one of the blank circles in Appendix 2. Add in the notes, and then try to write the key signatures
beside each segment.
Circle Fact 3: Each counterclockwise step from C adds one flat
note to the Key Signature (The Flat Side)
If a clockwise movement around The Circle is going up a perfect 5th, a counterclockwise movement
will be its opposite - going down a perfect 5th.
How do you move down a perfect 5th? You can start from the octave Root note of the major scale and
walk down 5 notes.
Remember as you do so that the Root note is counted as the first note. Here’s an example from the G
major scale:
Five - Four - Three - Two - One

G - A - B - C - D - E - F! - G
A perfect 5th below the note G is C. That makes sense because it’s a counterclockwise movement
around The Circle from G at 1 o’clock:
You can also quickly move down a perfect 5th by viewing the power chord shape in reverse, visualising
from the 5 to the Root:
Moving down a perfect 5th with the power chord
But hang on…C is the 4 of the G major scale. Remember that inverted power chord shape that we
saw earlier? Couldn’t you also say that a counterclockwise movement around The Circle is going up
a perfect 4th?
Moving up a perfect 4th with the inverted power chord
Exactly right! Yes, you can and it is another common way to view The Circle. You will also see it
named The Circle of Fourths or The Cycle of Fourths.
A counterclockwise movement is down a perfect 5th. It is also up a perfect 4th.
The perfect 4th on the fretboard is an easy shape to remember as it is the same fret on the string
physically below (towards the floor) (one fret higher between strings 3(G) and 2(B)):
Ascending perfect 4ths on the fretboard
The guitar strings are tuned in perfect 4ths, except between strings 3(G) and 2(B) which are tuned a
major 3rd apart.
You can actually see the standard tuning fourths in The Circle:
Standard Tuning
So let’s go ahead and complete The Circle by working in ascending fourths from the C note.
F Major
To fill the 11 o’clock position in The Circle we can refer to the 4 of the C major scale, which is the
note F:
What happens to the key signature as we move from C to F? Let’s have a look at scale pattern and
identify the notes the F major scale contains:
F Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
See that flat symbol? The 4 of the F major scale is the note B♭ (“B flat”). If not, the major scale
formula doesn’t work:
The Musical Alphabet from F
Whole Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Half
R - 2 - 3 - ? - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
F - G - A - B - C - D - E - F
We need the half step between A to B and so we have to lower (or flatten) the B a half step into B♭ to
ensure that the major scale formula is correct. B♭ is a whole step below the 5 (C) and the rest of the
scale works.
The F Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
F - G - A - B♭ - C - D - E - F
The key signature of F major is therefore one flat, B♭.
F major key signature
A flat symbol is placed upon the middle line of the musical staff to signify that any B note found in the
music should be played as a B♭.
This is the first counterclockwise step into The Flat Side.
From C, each counterclockwise step around The Circle will add one additional flat note to the key
signature until ALL the notes of the scale have become flat notes.
Each counterclockwise step around The Circle will be moving up a perfect 4th and, like the perfect
5th, if you continue that sequence through all 12 notes, you will eventually return back to C and close
the loop.
The next note counterclockwise can then be sourced from the 4 of the F major scale and it will be the
note of B♭. Like The Sharp Side, any flat note added will be carried over into the next
scale as you move counterclockwise.
B♭ Major
The B♭ note is added at the 10 o’clock position of The Circle:
Let’s look at the B♭ major scale to see if we can see what the pattern of the flat notes is:
B♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
The note which is flattened is, once again, the 4 of the scale. The E note is flattened to an E♭.
B♭ major key signature
The rule is that a counterclockwise movement around The Flat Side of The Circle will add one flat note
to the key signature and the note which is flattened is the 4 of the new note’s major scale.
Whatever the next note is, go up to its fourth scale degree and you know that note will be flattened.
E♭ Major
The 4 of the B♭ major scale is the note E♭, so E♭ is added to The Circle at the 9 o’clock position:
From an E♭ note, its fourth scale degree will be an A note. The letters will always appear in order
even if the starting note has been flattened.
Following the rule of the flat side, this will be flattened to an A♭ note. The key signature for the E♭
major scale will therefore be B♭ E♭ and A♭.
Indeed, that is confirmed with the scale pattern:
E♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
A♭ Major
The 4 of the E♭ major scale is the note A♭, so A♭ is added to The Circle at the 8 o’clock position:
Again, applying the rule of The Flat Side, the additional flat note of the A♭ major scale will be its
fourth scale degree. The note D (A♭ B C D) will become D♭.
A♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
With the addition of the A♭ note the loop is closed and The Circle is complete!
But we’re not finished yet! Whilst all the

segments of The Circle have been filled, there
are still more flat scales. Like the sharp side,
we can continue adding flat notes until all
the notes in the scale have been flattened.
This means there is going to be some overlap

that we’ll need to address in the next chapter.
But, for now, it’s onwards to D♭ major!
Are we done?!
D♭ Major
D♭ is the 4 of the A♭ major scale, so it is added to The Circle at the 7 o’clock position:
D♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
The 4 of the scale (G) is once again flattened (G♭) to give a key signature with 5 flat notes. This G♭
note is then added to the next segment of The Circle.
G♭ Major
G♭ is the 4 of the D♭ major scale, so it is added to The Circle at the 6 o’clock position:
G♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
C♭?! It’s another note that you were told didn’t exist. A half step below C is the note B, right?
C♭ doesn’t exist, does it?
As we saw previously with the notes E! and B!, C♭ can theoretically exist and must exist for the G♭
major scale to work.
The Gb Major Scale
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
G♭ - A♭ - B♭ - C♭ - D♭ - E♭ - F - G♭
C♭ is the 4 of the G♭ major scale and will, therefore be the final note added to The Flat Side.
C♭ Major
C♭ is added to The Circle at the 5 o’clock position:
C♭ Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
Like C! major, the easiest way to remember C♭ major (should you ever need to…unlikely…) is to take
C major (no flats) and flatten everything.
C♭ major has all seven notes of its scale flattened, including its 4, F♭.
F♭?! E, surely. It has to theoretically exist for C♭ major to work but, as we’ll see next, this scale will
more commonly be identified as B major.
Summary
The ‘Flat Side’ of The Circle
Each counterclockwise step around The Circle moves up a perfect 4th and adds one flat note to the
key signature of the new note. That additional flat note is the 4 of the new major scale.
Test Your Knowledge
Again, take a moment to review and test yourself by trying to complete The Flat Side on one of the
blank circles in Appendix 2. Add in the notes, and then write the key signatures of each scale beside
the note.
Circle Fact 4: There are three enharmonic notes
With the overlap of The Sharp Side and The Flat Side, we find that there are three segments that
contain two notes, between 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock:
Notes are said to be enharmonic when they have different names but share the same fret on the
guitar. The most common being the notes falling in between the musical alphabet that can have both
a sharp name (G!) and a flat name (A♭).
The Root note of the scale in which you find the note determines when one name is used instead of
the other. For example, an A major scale contains the note G!$""In an E♭ major scale, that same pitch
(and fret) would be named A♭.
But even the musical alphabet notes can have enharmonic equivalents like C♭ and B!$" " We know
these notes can exist - we just worked them all out!
There are three overlapping major scales in The Circle with enharmonic equivalents:
• B Major and C♭ major

• F! major and G♭ major
• D♭ major and C! major
Certainly for two of the three pairs, there is a clear winner as to which is preferable.
Let’s compare B Major and C♭ major:
They are the same frets, the same sounds. But the notes are named differently. Which do you
suppose is preferred by composers and musicians?
5 sharp notes or 7 flat notes?
Understandably, musicians will opt for B major over

C♭ major because it is considerably less complicated
to keep as many natural notes as possible in the key.
In the same way, D♭ major (5 flats) is preferred over

C! major (7 sharps).
F! and G♭ major are equals. They both have 6 notes

which are either sharpened or flattened.
Being enharmonic equals, I shall add them both to the The Circle going forward.
I will remove the notes of C♭ and C! as, practically, they are so rarely used. They are, though likely to
make a reappearance as we progress.
Other enharmonic equivalents
It is important to remember that each sharp or flat note in The Circle does have its own enharmonic
equivalent:
The enharmonic equivalents will come into play as we look at other insight that The Circle provides.
Make sure you’re comfortable with these alternative names before continuing.
Why no G! major scale?
You may be wondering why A♭ major exists but G!"major doesn’t. What happens if we stubbornly
push on through The Sharp Side and try and continue with G!"major in the 8 o’clock position?
G! Major Scale (Root String 6(E))
Fx? What is that symbol beside the F note?!
G! major would be a clockwise step around from C! major. Every note of the scale is already
sharpened. Following the rules of the Sharp Side, the 7 of the G! major scale has to be sharpened to
make the scale work.
The F! note has to be sharpened again to F!! (F double sharp!). The x symbol representing a double
sharpening of the note.
That’s why G! major is not even considered as a useable scale.
The same situation would occur if you were to attempt to extend the Flat Side into F♭ major (instead
of E). That scale would require a to double flat 4 (B♭♭ - B double flat).
15 major keys is enough! Why 15? There are seven sharp keys, seven flat keys and C major (our
neutral starting point), making 15 major keys in total.
Using The Circle in your Guitar Practice (Part 1)
With The Circle now fully formed, let’s consider a few ways to you can be using it in your guitar
practice.
Note Finding Exercises
The first example is to use The Circle as a guide for a sequence of notes when working on note finding
and fretboard memorisation.
If you were working on a note finding exercise on one string (let’s say string 1(E)), it’s easy to name
the notes in a fret-by-fret ascending order (“E, F, F sharp, G, G sharp, A…”). It’s simply a clockwise
motion around the Note Clock.
Saying the notes as you play them is easy when you go up or down one fret at a time
But could you play a B♭ note immediately without hesitation or without walking up to it from the open
string in this way? How about C!?
Using the sequence of note found in The Circle challenges you in your fretboard knowledge and will
force you out of that fret-by-fret sequence.
I commonly work counterclockwise from C, so the sequence of notes to find on string 1(E) will be:
“C-F-B♭-E♭-A♭-C!-F!-B…”
See how it’s jumping up and down all over the fretboard? Try this exercise finding the notes around
The Circle, naming each note aloud as you play it.
This is a much more challenging but ultimately rewarding way to work note finding exercises.
And don’t forget you can do this on all six of the strings!
‘Root of the Day’
I often practice with a ‘Root of the Day’ in which I focus my scale and improvisation work around a
particular Root note.
To be covering all bases and not neglect any notes, I’ll work around The Circle moving
counterclockwise one segment each day.
So if I’m working A on Monday, Tuesday will be D, Wednesday G, Thursday C etc.
What about enharmonic notes?
For note finding exercises I recommend you work both names for the notes (like C! and D♭). You can
name each note by their sharp notes in a first pass and then do it again, this time naming notes with
their flat names.
For Root of the Day I’ll tend to work notes by their most common names (for example, F! instead of
G♭ as F! is found in more keys than G♭).
Playing exercises through The Circle
Whenever you are learning an arpeggio or scale pattern on the fretboard, it’s always valuable to
practice it from different Root notes.
The logical (and most musical) way of doing this is playing through the sequence of notes found
around The Circle. Again, when doing this I like to work counterclockwise in ascending perfect 4ths.
For example, say you’re learning the major pentatonic scale, position 1 (what I call the E-Shape):
E-Shape major pentatonic scale pattern
A logical way to ensure you have the scale pattern memorised is to play it up and down and, on each
repeat, change the Root note by working around The Circle. The first few rounds would go like this:
You’d continue through each of the 12 steps around The Circle until you’re back at C.
This can work with anything! You can use the same scale pattern and move it up and down the neck,
or you can test yourself and see if you can play through The Circle whilst staying in the same area of
the fretboard.
An example of that would be playing one octave of the major scale up and down, each time changing
Root note by moving up a perfect 4th. As you do so, try to find the next Root note under your fretting
hand and use whatever scale pattern is appropriate to the starting finger. If you’re unsure of the note
sequence, simply refer to The Circle!
That could go a little something like this (starting from an A Root note, this time):
The possibilities are endless and working with The Circle sequence guarantees to keep things
sounding musical. Enjoy exploring those ideas.
Circle Fact 5: The order of sharp and flat notes is in The Circle
The Circle is now complete and we’ve learned how it’s a very efficient tool to memorise the key
signatures and to see how the major scales relate to one another.
I have attempted to show that close relationship with the use of the colour wheel. The closer in colour
the segments are, the more closely related the scales are.
How do you begin memorising it? Is there a way to remember the sequence of sharp and flat notes?
Of course, it’s right there in The Circle! The order in which the sharp notes were added as we
moved around The Sharp Side went:
F-C-G-D-A-E-B
The order in which the flat notes were added as we moved around The Flat Side went:
B-E-A-D-G-C-F
See that? They’re a mirror image of one another:
Even better than that…it’s the order of notes in The Circle from 11 o’clock to 5 o’clock.
A clockwise movement from F gives the order of the sharp notes. Counterclockwise from B is the
order of the flat notes.
How to quickly work out any key signature
Here’s how you can effortlessly know the key signature to any major scale with a quick look at The
Circle.
Hopefully you’re starting to learn the key signatures but, let’s say, that you wanted to know the key
signature of an A major scale.
A B C D E F G A
Locating the A note in The Circle we see that it’s in a
segment on The Sharp Side.
It’s now a case of counting how many clockwise

steps from C the segment is to work out how many
sharp notes are in its key signature.
A is three steps clockwise from C, so there will be

three sharp notes in its key signature. To
remember which notes are sharpened, simply work
clockwise three steps from F.
The key signature of A major will therefore be F!"C!"

and G!$" " Plug those into the musical alphabet for
your A major scale, and see how the major scale
formula works.
W W H W W W H
A B C# D E F# G# A
Let’s take another example, this time on The Flat Side. What is the key signature of A♭ major?
Ab B C D E F G Ab
Have a look at The Circle before reading on and see if you can work it out.
As before, we need to count how many steps

counterclockwise the segment is to determine how
many flat notes will be in the key signature.
A♭ is four steps counterclockwise so its key

signature will contain four flat notes. To
remember which notes are flattened, work
counterclockwise four steps from B.
The key signature of A♭ major will therefore be B♭,

E♭, A♭, and" D♭. Adding those into the musical
alphabet gives you the A♭ major scale (see below).
With time, you’ll start to memorise the key

signatures without needing to refer to The Circle
but, whilst you’re learning them, it’s a great visual
reference to easily know which notes to anticipate
in any major key.
W W H W W W H
Ab Bb C Db Eb F G Ab
The Circle on the Guitar Fretboard
The theory of key signatures works perfectly in The Circle. If, however, you’re caught short without
The Circle to reference, there is a neat sequence on the guitar fretboard.
The Circle can be played on the fretboard through an ascending sequence of perfect 5th power chord
shapes (two frets higher on the string physically below towards the floor, three frets higher between
strings 3(G) and 2(B)). Starting on C at the 8th fret of string 6(E):
Playing clockwise around The Circle using the power chord shape (Perfect 5ths)
As there are only the six strings, we can only get halfway (6 segments) around The Circle. Not ideal!
It’s a similar situation if we go counterclockwise around The Circle from C:
Playing counterclockwise around The Circle in perfect 4ths
Again, only six segments covered.
But…a combination of these two approaches creates a sawtooth wave of notes which takes you
clockwise around The Circle:
Sawtooth Circle of Fifths

Remember that the note name a perfect 5th higher (C D E F G) is also found a perfect 4th lower (C B A
G). Going down a perfect 4th is the same fret on the string physically above (towards the ceiling).
Taking the sawtooth wave from the octave C note downwards towards the headstock is The Circle
counterclockwise in ascending fourths / descending fifths.
Sawtooth Circle of Fourths
The sequence of sharp and flat notes can then be played when starting from the 1st fret of string 6(E).
Ascending up through the Sawtooth Circle from F gives the order of the key signature sharp notes:
Sawtooth sharp notes
Likewise, starting from the B note at the 7th fret of string 6(E) and going in the opposite direction, you
get the sequence of the key signature flat notes:
Sawtooth flat notes
Summary
The order in which the sharp notes appear in the key signatures is in The Circle.
Clockwise from F at 11 o’clock gives the order of the sharp notes. Counterclockwise from B at
5 o’clock gives the order of the flat notes.
This order of notes can be played on the guitar with the Sawtooth Circle note pattern.
Test Your Knowledge
See how quickly you can work out the following key signatures using the approach from this section:
1. E major
2. E♭ major
3. D♭ major
4. D major
5. F major
(Answers in Appendix 4 - see ‘Circle Fact 5’)
Circle Fact 6: The Relative Minor is in the Inner Layer of The Circle
A common approach to presenting The Circle is to add
an inner layer which presents the relative minor scale
and key.
What is the relative minor?
The relative minor scale is one that shares the exact

same notes as the major scale, but we consider a
different note as the tonal centre, rearranging the
scale in order from this new Root note.
Major to Relative Minor
C - D - E - F - G - A - B - C
From any major scale, the Root of the relative minor is the sixth major scale degree. For example,
the relative minor of C major is A minor.
A natural minor scale
Whole Half Whole Whole Half Whole Whole
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
The full title of this scale is the A natural minor scale. I will mostly refer to this as simply the
'minor scale’.
Here’s one way to play the A minor scale on string 3(G). Strike the open string 5(A) and then play up
the scale:
A Natural Minor Scale on String 3(G)
When the notes of the C major scale are rearranged in this way to make A the Root, the major scale
formula has been displaced to give us a new, minor scale formula:
Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole
Minor Scale Degrees
To better understand and analyse the minor scale, we need to identify its scale degrees in comparison
to those of the major scale. Remember, the major scale is always the ruler for measuring
intervals.
If the notes are the same between the two scales we use the scale degrees as before. There
are ,though, some scale degrees that will be flattened (lowered).
Being a minor scale, the major third (3) will be flattened to a minor third (♭3). Due to the minor scale
formula, we also find that the sixth and seventh major scale degrees are also flattened (♭6 and ♭7).
If we do a side-by-side comparison of the two scales, A major and A natural minor:
The A Major Scale (Comparison)
R - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - R
A - B - C! - D - E - F! - G! - A
The A Natural Minor Scale (Comparison)
Whole Half Whole Whole Half Whole Whole
R - 2 - ♭3 - 4 - 5 - ♭6 - ♭7 - R
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A
Therefore:
A natural minor is an A major scale with a flattened 3rd (♭3),

flattened 6th (♭6) and flattened 7th (♭7)
In thinking this way, it means that we can take any major scale and make it minor by flattening the
3rd, 6th and 7th scale degrees.
C major is the relative major of A minor

A minor is the relative minor of C major
A minor (Am) is added to the inner layer in

the same segment as C to show their
relativity.
I have coloured the Am segment the same

yellow as the C segment to show that they
share the same notes.
The relative minor can also be located by

moving three steps clockwise in The
Circle (e.g. C at 12 o’clock, A at 3 o’clock).
How to quickly identify the relative minor on the fretboard
From the major scale, the relative minor is found three frets below the Root note on the same string:
The important thing to remember if using this method is that the two relative keys span three musical
alphabet letters (A B C).
We see why that is important if we take another example. What is the relative minor of A major?
Counting down three frets from the A note on string 6(E)…
The relative minor of A major is F! minor (F G A), not G♭ minor. Enharmonically they are the same
note, but it is F! minor which shares the same notes (key signature) as A major.
F! is the sixth note of the A major scale, not G♭. A major is on The Sharp Side of The Circle so it can’t
contain any flat notes in its key signature.
The relative major/minor can be worked out on the fretboard - much easier just to look at The Circle!
The Circle in all its glory
One little look at The Circle will tell you that…
• The relative minor of D major is…B minor (Bm).

• The relative minor of B♭ major is…G minor (Gm)
• The relative major of D minor (Dm) is…F major
• The relative major if C! minor (C!m) is…E major…you get the idea.
You’ll see I’ve also added a third inner layer as a quick reference for how many sharp or flat notes are
in the key signatures of the different keys (remembering to reference from F to B for the order of the
sharp and flat notes). Printable versions of The Circle can be found in Appendix 1.
It’s important to point out that the relative minor circle is also in perfect fifths, and the
commonality between the minor keys is the same as for the major keys. For example, the key of Am
is very closely related to the keys of Em and Dm, sharing six of its seven notes with both keys.
Okay, great. So what next (you may be wondering)?
Remember that each segment was representing not only a note, but a chord (and, in turn, a key).
Adding the relative minor has given us everything we need to consider harmony (chord progressions
in a key).
This is where things really get interesting!
Test Your Knowledge
Refer to The Circle to help you answer the following questions:
1. How many frets lower is the relative minor on the same guitar string?
2. On which major scale degree do we find the relative minor?
3. What intervals change between the major and natural minor scale?
4. What is the relative minor of E♭ major?
5. What is the relative minor of B major?
6. What is the key signature of the G minor scale?
7. What is the key signature of the B minor scale?
8. What is the relative major of the D minor scale?
9. What is the relative major of the F minor scale?
10. Which major and minor keys have exactly 3 sharps?
Circle Fact 7: Chords in a Key are found together in The Circle
Up to this point, we’ve only really considered notes and scales in The Circle.
Scales are used to create chords which (along with the scale itself) define the key of a piece of
music. Music that has melodies and harmonies based around the notes of a major (or minor) scale is
said to be ‘in a key’.
Depending on which scale is used, the music will either be in a major key or a minor key. The
starting note of the scale is the tonal centre. A piece of music can therefore be written ‘in the key of’
C major, G major, E minor etc.
All major and minor keys will share the same set of major and minor chords, but the specific Root
note names of each of these chords will differ with each key.
So what are the chords in a major (or minor) key?
You can study this in detail and learn exactly how chords are constructed (recommended) but we
don’t need to worry about that here because…The Circle tells us!
The Primary Chords (I-IV-V)
The Circle shows you at a glance the three primary chords of any major key.
Of the seven triads (3-note chords) that can be formed from each note of the major scale, three are
more important than the rest. In the same way that we speak of the three ‘primary colours’, these
are called primary chords.
Primary chords share the same major quality as the key in which they are found and are the three
triads built upon the following scale degrees:
• The tonic (1)- I

• The subdominant (4) - IV
• The dominant (5) - V
For example, in the key of C, the tonic is C, the subdominant is F and the dominant is G.
The C major chord is known as the ‘one’ chord. F major is the ‘four’ chord, G major the ‘five’ chord.
Fourth and fifths…sounds very Circle-like! Indeed, we know that a clockwise step around The Circle is
moving up to the fifth major scale degree, and a counterclockwise step is moving up to the fourth
major scale degree.
Basically, it’s one step left for the ‘four’ chord, one step right for the ‘five’ chord.
The Primary Chords in the key of C Major
The three primary chords in the key of C major are therefore, C, F and G major.
As I play these w chords, I’m thinking ‘La Bamba’ or ‘Twist and Shout’.
To show the difference between scale degrees and chords we use Roman numerals to denote
chords in a key, with capital numerals representing major chords:
The primary chords are the foundation of blues progressions
which, in turn, inspired early rock and roll. Literally
thousands of songs have been (and continue to be) written
using only these three chords.
If you want to start writing songs, the I, IV and V are a

great place to start.
Let’s use The Circle for a ‘I-IV-I-V’ progression in the key

of B♭ major. Simply find the B♭ note in The Circle and you
can be confident that one step counterclockwise is the IV
chord, one step clockwise from the B♭ is the V chord.
The progression would therefore be: B♭-E♭-B♭-F
I’m hearing ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ this time.
See how I added the key signature to the beginning of the music. Two steps counterclockwise around
The Flat Side gives us the two flat notes in the key of B♭ major.
Without looking at the actual chords or melody, you can begin to guess what the key of a piece of
music is by looking at the key signature at the beginning of the music. Two flats suggests the key of
B♭ major (or maybe its relative, G minor). The key of B♭ major is reinforced with the first chord
being B♭ major. Progressions will often start on their ‘one’ chord.
Play and listen how the progression doesn’t feel at rest until you play the B♭ as the final chord. B♭ is
the tonal centre of the key, where the progression (and melody) will naturally feel at home/at rest.
I-IV-V on the Fretboard
With the primary chords being such a staple of blues and popular music, it’s invaluable to see the
Root notes of the I-IV-V chords on the fretboard. Upon these Root notes you can use power chords,
triads or full barre chord shapes.
It’s very similar to the Sawtooth Circle pattern that we saw previously.
With the Root note of the I chord on string 6(E), the IV chord can be found in the same fret below on
string 5(A) and the V chord will be a whole step above that (think: power chord):
1-4-5 Root Notes (1)
That shape holds between strings 5(A) and 4(D):
You’ll more commonly source the IV and V chords on string 6(E) when the I chord begins on string
5(A). The V chord is therefore in the same fret directly above on string 6(E) with the IV chord being
a whole step below that:
Minor Key Primary Chords (i-iv-v)
For a minor key, the primary chords will be the three minor chords. These will also be the first, fourth
and fifth scale degrees of the minor scale. In that way, they are represented with lower case Roman
numerals - i, iv, and v.
In the same way that we used The Circle for the primary chords in a major key, you can quickly
identify the primary chords of a minor key with a glance at the inner layer of The Circle.
So again, it’s one step counterclockwise for the iv chord, one step clockwise for the v chord:
The Primary Chords in the key of A Minor
The primary chords in the key of A minor are therefore Am, Dm and Em.
Once again, we can add the Roman Numerals to the Circle:
The Circle tells us the primary chords in any major or minor key, but a combination of these two sets
of chords will give all six chords of any major or minor key.
There is technically a seventh chord. It’s known as a diminished triad, formed from the seventh
major scale degree. It is so rarely used in the same way as the major and minor chords, so we needn’t
discuss it further here.
All Chords in a Major Key
If we return to the key of C major for ease, we established the major I-IV-V in the outer layer. We
can add their relative minor chords in the inner layer and, just like that, we have the six chords in the
key of C major:
Chords in the key of C major
I have highlighted the C note because it is the tonal centre, the Root note of the scale from which
these chords are derived.
This is important as you use this visualisation - the tonal centre is in the middle segment.
Applying the Roman numeral approach to all six chords, the minor chords of the inner layer will now
be the ‘two’, ‘three’ and ‘six’ chords - ii (Dm), iii (Em) and vi (Am) - named as such by the position
of each Root note in the C major scale.
Applying the Roman Numerals
This grouping of the 3 segments of both the outer and inner layer of The Circle will give you the six
chords of any major key. You just have to place it correctly.
Let’s use it to quickly find the six chords in the key of A major. Find the A note at 3 o’clock on The
Circle and expand your vision one segment counterclockwise and one segment clockwise in both the
layers for the six chords in the key of A major:
The key of A major
Chords in the key of A major
This works anywhere on The Circle. You just have to be careful to orientate yourself correctly and
be sure that you’re naming any sharp and flat notes in the correct way (considering whether the tonal
centre lies in The Sharp Side or The Flat Side).
All Chords in a Minor Key
The same approach will work when considering the six chords in any minor key. You simply orientate
yourself around a segment of the inner layer. For example, the key of A minor:
The key of A minor
Chords in the key of A minor
Notice how there’s no ‘two’ chord here? That would be the diminished triad that we omitted from the
major key. It is seen more often in a minor key and so there are some other approaches that we will
explore later to be confident of which Root note will be the ‘two’ chord in the minor key.
Applying the Roman Numerals for the minor key
You may be wondering what the flat symbols before the numerals in the outer layer mean. Let me
explain.
We add sharp and flat symbols to scale degrees to show how different scales relate to the major
scale, like we saw with minor scale (i.e. 1 2 ♭3…). The principle is the same with chords.
Flat (or indeed sharp) symbols are placed before the Roman numerals when the Root of a chord has
been flattened (or sharpened) when compared to its major key equivalent.
We saw earlier the chords in the key of A major. Let’s compare them to the chords of A minor:
Key comparison - A major and A minor
The ‘three’ chord in the key of A major is C! minor, but in the key of A minor it is C major. The Root
note has been flattened (C! down to C) and the chord is major, hence an upper case numeral with a
flat symbol (♭III).
As another example the ‘six’ chord in the key of A major is F!m. In the key of A minor it is F major.
Again, the Root note has been flattened and the chord has become major, so ♭VI.
Let’s apply the flattening of root notes to work out the chords in the key of C minor. We can
immediately make the primary chords minor. The ‘three’, ‘six’, and ‘seven’ chords will become major
and their Root note will be flattened:
Key comparison - C major and C minor
We can convert any major key to a minor key in this way but, of course, we could more easily find the
chords in the key of C minor with a quick look at The Circle.
Cm is at 9 o’clock in the inner layer. Expanding the vision to the two surrounding segments gives the
six chords in the key of C minor:
The key of C minor
Chords in the key of C minor
Can’t we add the diminished chord?
Indeed, it is possible to see all seven chords in a major key in The Circle around the outer layer.
Within a seven-segment slice of the outer layer you can find the seven chords in a major key.
We’ve already established that the I, IV and V chords are next to one another in neighbouring
segments. If you continue clockwise after the V chord, the next three segments will be the minor
chords (in the following order - ii, vi, iii). One more stepwise move gives you the diminished chord
(the superscript o symbol denoting a diminished triad - viio).
Let’s see how that works for the key of C major:
The seven chords in a major key found in the outer layer of The Circle
If you use this approach, remember that you must add one segment counterclockwise from your
chosen tonal centre to include the IV chord.
Care must be taken with naming the root notes in the correct way. Remember that if your tonal
centre is in The Sharp Side (for example E), you’ll need to identify the notes by their sharp note
names.
Key of E major around the outer layer
For the minor key, it’s a similar approach but in reverse. The primary minor i iv v are next to one
another, with the major chords the next three segments counterclockwise. The diminished triad will
be the next clockwise step after the minor v chord:
The seven chords in a minor key found in the outer layer of The Circle
30 Keys
In total t there are 30 keys, 15 major and 15 minor.
We established that there were seven possible major scales on The Sharp Side and another seven
major scales on The Flat Side. Adding the neutral C major scale makes the total of fifteen.
Each major key has a corresponding relative minor key, so that gives the fifteen minor keys.
It’s an interesting sum to consider, given that we might assume there are only 24 (the major and
relative minor of the 12 chromatic notes).
It’s worth knowing…knowledge is power. In reality though you will not play in all of the keys,
especially as a guitarist. There are keys that lend themselves more to the tuning and geometry of the
guitar strings.
Summary
Major Key Minor Key
Roman numerals are used to denote the chords in a key and how they relate to one another.
Surrounding the ‘one’ chord in The Circle (the tonal centre of the key) are the other five main chords
in its key.
The primary chords in a key are the ‘one’, ‘four’ and ‘five’ chords, and they are found in neighbouring
segments of The Circle with the ‘one’ chord always in the middle. It’s one step counterclockwise for
the ‘four’, one step clockwise for the ‘five’ chord.
For a major key, the one-four-five are found in the outer layer of The Circle. For a minor key, the one-
four-five are found in the inner layer of The Circle.
All seven chords in a major or minor key can also be grouped in a seven-segment slice of the outer
layer. This approach will include the diminished triad (the viio chord in a major key, iio chords in a
minor key).
Test Your Knowledge
Apply your new knowledge to answer the following questions:
1. Upon which scale degrees do you find the primary chords in a key?
2. What is the ‘four’ chord in the key of F major?
3. What is the ‘five’ chord in the key of D major?
4. What is the ‘four’ chord in the key of C minor?
5. What is the ‘three' chords in the key of E major?
6. What is the ‘six' chords in the key of A♭ major?
7. What is the ‘two' chords in the key of E major?
8. Which chords are found in both the key of B♭ major and C major?
9. Which chords are found in both the key of E major and G major?
10. How many keys exist in music?
Circle Fact 8: The Circle is invaluable for songwriting and music
analysis
Now we know how to find the chords of a key within The Circle, let’s consider the ways in which we
can use this knowledge to help in both our understanding of songs and (should you wish) your own
songwriting.
Song Analysis / Learning by Ear
Learning songs by ear is such a valuable skill in your development as a musician.
Being able to hear chords and how they relate to one another is a huge subject worthy of a separate
ear training course. However, The Circle can help you by giving you the chords that are likely to be
heard together in a chord progression.
In essence, chords that sound good together are likely to be neighbours (or very close to one another)
in The Circle.
Let’s say there is a song that you really want to learn and you’re going to try avoiding any YouTube
tutorials and learn it by ear.
We’ll assume that your ear is developing and

you’re able to recognise the first chord in the
four-measure progression as C major.
| C | ? | ? | ? |
Songs will often begin on the ‘one’ chord of the

key, so you bring your attention to the key of C
major, surrounding the C note at 12 o’clock (see
right).
This vision gives you the other chords that you

might expect to find in the song. Could the progression be in the key of C major?
The second chord comes in measure two and it’s…
a D major chord.
| C | D | ? | ? |
Whoa…change of plans! You’ve got a C and a D

major chord. Is there a key containing both
chords? Yes, they’re both in the six chords of the
key of G major (the IV and V chords
respectively), so you need to adjust your focus to
the key of G, with the G segment in the middle.
Measure three and it’s an A minor chord. It fits Could the progression be in the key of G major?
the key. Looks like you’re on to a winner with G
major.
| C | D | Am | ? |
Measure four and it’s a…G major, the suspected ‘one’ chord. You can be confident that you have your
key established and can be analysing the progression in the key of G. Referring to the key in The
Circle will also allow you to anticipate any remaining chords in the song.
IV V ii I
| C | D | Am | G |
Analysing the progression in the key of G
Applying the Roman numeral analysis allows you to easily move the progression (should you wish) to
a different key (called transposition or transposing). Moving it to the key of C it would be:
IV V ii I
| F | G | Dm | C |
Transposing to the key of G
Try this next time you want learn a song or, even better, take the songs you already know and see if
you can locate the progression in The Circle to infer the key.
Chord Progressions in a Key
The Circle can be used to analyse existing progressions. It can also help you with writing your own
progressions, whether that’s for songwriting or coming up with your own backing tracks or loops.
It’s as simple as choosing your ‘one’ chord, whether in a major or minor key, and expanding your
vision to quickly identify the six chords of that key.
For a song, the choice of key will often come down to you or your singer’s vocal range. Establishing
that often comes with a little trial and error!
Let’s say you’re looking to write a loop to solo

over in the key of D major to practise your D
major scale vision. Locate the D note in the outer
layer of The Circle to establish the key.
Then it’s simply a case of putting the chords into

a progression. This will generally be across four
or eight measures, and you could use 2, 3, 4 (or
more) chords.
Below are a series of common chord progressions

that I’ve heard and collated over the years.
Start running your own list ASAP. Listing

progressions as Roman numerals will allow you Key of D Major
to play them in any key of your choosing:
I-IV-V-I
I-ii-IV-V
I-ii-IV-I
I-iii-IV-V
I-IV-vi-V
I-V-ii-IV
I-V-vi-IV
I-vi-iii-V
ii-V-I-IV
Let’s take a couple of these (in bold) to come up with some progressions that you could loop:
I iii IV V
I IV vi Vsus V
I vi iii V7
And that’s essentially it. You’ve taken the chords directly from The Circle so you can be confident
that they will all work. Beginning on the ‘one’ chord reinforces D as the tonal centre, the chord upon
which each progression can end and feel at rest.
‘Two-Five-One’ Progressions
The 2-5-1 is a staple of popular music, from pop and rock through to country and jazz. It has such a
strong sense of an ending as a result of the Root notes of each chord descending in perfect 5ths.
Fifths…must be some kind of a Circle progression!
Indeed it is. The 2-5-1 in any key can easily be worked out from three neighbouring segments of The
Circle. With your Root in mind, add two segments clockwise for the Root notes for the V and ii
chords (in that clockwise order). Here, for example, are the ii-V-I of the key of C major (Dm-G-C):
2-5-1 in the key of C major
For the 2-5-1 it’s simply a case of playing counterclockwise from the ii chord. Substituting the triads
with their seventh chords give a distinctively jazzy sound, common in many jazz standards. Below are
two possibilities for playing the progression:
In a minor key, the ‘two’ chord will be diminished, played as a half diminished seventh, also commonly
known as the ‘minor seven flat five’ chord - m7(♭5).
Theoretically the ‘five’ is a minor chord, but it is often played as a major triad or dominant seventh
chord, which have a stronger pull back to the minor ‘one’ chord.
The same rules will apply for sourcing the Root notes in The Circle. Notice here that the Root notes
will fall outside of the six chords in the minor key (shown in yellow).
For example, here’s a 2-5-1 in the key of A minor:
2-5-1 in the key of A minor
And here’s a couple of ways that can be played using seventh chords:
Secondary Dominants in The Circle
The dominant 7th need not necessarily be reserved for the V chord in a key. Almost any chord in a
progression can be preceded by its own dominant chord.
The Root of any chord’s dominant 7th is found one clockwise step around The Circle. It’s the V7
chord. To know any secondary dominant, you simply look one step clockwise in The Circle and build a
dominant 7th from that Root note.
This dominant 7th can be used to set up or introduce another chord in your progression, even if the
dominant 7th is not theoretically in the key.
Taking a simple progression like this in the key of C major:
I vi IV V
You could do something pretty wild like this:
I V7/vi vi V7/IV IV V7/V V V7
The E7 in the first measure is announcing the arrival of the Am chord in measure 2. E7 is the V7 of
the Am so I annotate it as the V7/vi (dominant 7th of the vi chord). The E7 is identified as a
secondary dominant.
Each chord is being preceded by its own V7.

The C7 in measure 2 is the secondary dominant
of F. The D7 is the secondary dominant of G.
The G7 is the dominant 7th of the key and
resolves nicely back to the C, and the
progression works.
Granted, this is overstating the technique and I

wouldn’t suggest you use it this much in your
own progressions. It is, though, a great way to
add more interest into an otherwise bland
progression, and finding the secondary
dominant is a cinch with The Circle!
Borrowing chords from the parallel minor Key
The parallel minor is the minor key which shares the same Root (or tonal centre) of a given major key.
For example, C minor is the parallel minor of C major.
This is not to be confused with the relative minor. A minor being the relative minor of C major.
The parallel minor is conveniently in the neighbouring six segment piece of The Circle
counterclockwise. See below how the key of C minor is right next to C major.
The parallel minor is directly next to the major key
There are a couple of common examples of borrowing chords from the parallel minor key to add some
more flair to your progressions.
The first one is the ‘minor four’ chord (iv), which has an even stronger pull back to the I chord than
its major equivalent.
For example, a IV-iv-I progression in the key of C, namely F-Fm-C. The Fm chord is being borrowed
from the parallel minor, and it works great!
I V IV iv I
Another fun cadence (or ending) to a major key progression is to walk back up to the I chord in whole
steps using major chords. I found this a lot in the music of Electric Light Orchestra. An example in
the key of C would be:
I V ♭VI ♭VII I
The A♭ and B♭ chords are borrowed from the parallel key of C minor and give a triumphant ending to
a progression or song.
A perfect example progression which combines the ii-V-I, parallel minor and secondary dominant
approaches is found at the end of the chorus of ‘Starman’ by David Bowie, in the key of F major:
IV iv I V/ii ii V I
Analysing the ‘Starman’ progression
The B♭ minor is borrowed from the parallel key of F minor. The D/F! chord albeit not a dominant 7th)
is a secondary dominant of the the Gm chord (ii), which sets up the ii-V-I ending.
Explore these ideas. Take a chord progression you already know. Work out the key and then see if
you might be able to switch out a chord or two by borrowing from the parallel minor key.
There are examples in pop history of songs with progressions that move through a series of clockwise
or counterclockwise segments of The Circle. These are commonly known as circle progressions.
Counterclockwise Circle Progressions
Perhaps the most cited circle progression is found in ‘I Will Survive’, performed by Gloria Gaynor in
the key of A minor:
Circle progressions don’t use The Circle in its

entirety, passing through all 12 chromatic
notes. Doing so would create a song that
never seems to end!
‘I Will Survive’ passes through every chord

in the key of A minor in descending 5ths
(ascending 4ths). After the Fmaj7, the chord
the progression shoots across The Circle to
continue the sequence from the B Root note,
in a minor ‘2-5-1’ leading back to the Am
chord, and the progression repeats (and
repeats…and repeats!).
There’s a very similar progression in the verse of Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ which is in the key of B♭
minor (interestingly, the chorus changes key to B♭ major). Here’s the verse in the feel of Am with the
capo at the first fret (the notation representing the actual notes being played a half step higher).
IV
i V/ VII VII III
VI iv V V
This song has the Root notes moving counterclockwise once again, until the Dm chord breaks the
Circle chain. The chord of D minor is, though the upper three notes of a Bm7♭5. The B half
diminished chord can be named Dm/B (D minor triad over B bass note B-D-F-A).
The Dm in measure 2 of ‘I Will Survive’ is replaced with D major here, a secondary dominant of the G
chord in measure 3.
I’ve presented the progressions with open chords, but if you were to play ‘I Will Survive’ with barre
chords, the Root notes link up in the Sawtooth wave of Fourths seen in Circle Fact 5 (The Circle
on the Guitar Fretboard):
Counterclockwise Circle Progressions will follow this descending sequence
It’s not a perfect saw wave, as there is a diminished 5th between the notes of F and B, but it’s a useful
fretboard reference.
Other songs that are worth checking out which use a similar counterclockwise Circle progression are:
• ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’ (The Beatles) (Am7-Dm7-G7-C-Fmaj7-Bm7♭5-E-Am)

• ‘Wild World’ (verse) (Cat Stevens), (Am-D-G-Cmaj7-F-Dm-E)
• ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ (Bart Howard - Frank Sinatra’s version), (Am7-Dm7-G7-C-F-Bm7♭5-E7-Am)
• ‘Unintended’ (Muse) (E-Am-D-G-C-B7-E)
Clockwise Circle Progressions
Other songs take The Circle clockwise with a chord progression of ascending 5ths (descending 4ths),
with the Root notes in the Sawtooth wave of fifths, progressively climbing up the neck:
Clockwise Circle Progressions will follow this ascending sawtooth sequence
The classic example is ‘Hey Joe’ performed by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. That has a repeating
progression that moves in ascending perfect 5ths from C to E.
It’s hard to say whether C (or perhaps E) is the tonal centre here. In any case, none of these five
major chords are all found together in one key so it’s hard to analyse the progression. But it works,
due to the clockwise motion of the Root notes in The Circle.
I’ve heard the same type of clockwise circle progression in the following songs:
• ‘She’s Got Medals’ (David Bowie) (F-C-G-D-A)

• ‘Robot Boy’ (Linkin Park) - (B♭-F-C-G-D)
• ‘Here Comes The Sun’ (bridge) (The Beatles) (C-G-D-A - actual pitch)
If you come across any other Circle Progressions, do let me know and I’ll be sure to add them to
future editions!
Test Your Knowledge
Phew! A lot of great stuff in this section. Let’s see what you can remember.
1. What key is the following progression: F-Am-Dm-B♭?

2. What key is the following progression: Bm-G-D-A?
3. What key is the following progression: B♭-Cm-A♭-E♭?
4. What chords make a I-V-vi-IV in the key of A major?
5. What chords make a i-iv-♭VI-V in the key of E minor?
6. What are the chords of a 2-5-1 progression in the key of E♭ major?
7. What are the chords of a 2-5-1 progression in the key of D minor?
8. How do you locate the secondary dominant of any chord using The Circle?
9. What is the parallel minor key of A major?
10. What is the parallel major key of G minor?
Using The Circle in your Guitar Practice (Part 2)
The Circle Progressions in the previous section have
introduced an invaluable way of working with chords
and memorising chord shapes on the fretboard. This is
particularly beneficial in the study of triads.
This practice exercise is to play through the circle

progression using triad shapes on a 3-string set.
Let’s consider the key of C major using close voicing

triads on string set 1 (strings 3(G)-1(E)).
Notice in the circle on the left that the Root notes are
descending in 5ths (counterclockwise around The
Circle). These are all perfect 5ths with the exception
of the IV-viio which is descending a diminished 5th
(which made the progression jump across The Circle).
The quality of each chord (major/minor/diminished)

follows the rules of major scale harmony. The I, IV
and V chords are major. The ii, iii and vi chords are
minor, and the viio is the diminished triad (not found
in common chord progressions but you will get use
from it, I promise!)
We’ll begin with a root position C major triad at the 5th fret of string 3(G). The exercise is playing
through the major circle progression whilst continuing to ascend higher up the fretboard, passing
through different triad inversions. The Root note of the next chord will always be in a higher fret and
on a different string. This really gets you learning your triad shapes!
Example 1
Here’s the same approach, but starting from the 1st inversion C major triad (C/E):
Example 2
Once all the notes of the triad fall above the 12th fret, I recommend playing the octave below. Doing
so allows you to avoid open strings whilst keeping everything in the first octave of the guitar.
Working this way makes it easier to transpose the triad vision to different keys.
As a final example, here’s the same progression from the 2nd inversion C major triad (C/G):
Example 3
Notice how each example ends on a different inversion of the C chord. To really test yourself, you can
look to combine all three examples to create a (potentially) endless progression of triads:
Here are some ways to develop the exercise:
• Change the key (I chord)

• Change string set
• Take the circle counterclockwise (I-V-ii-vi…)
• Explore spread triads
Circle Fact 9: The Pentatonic Scales are in The Circle
Would you believe it…The Circle can help us with pentatonic scales too!
Let’s return to the segments of The Circle as notes to see how you can easily find the five notes of
both the major and minor pentatonic scales.
The pentatonic scale tends to be one of the first scales you ever learn, and for good reason. It is such
an important part of all genres of music, both melodically and in more riff-based music.
Major Pentatonic Scale
The major pentatonic can be derived from the major scale. From a seven-note major scale, we reduce
it down to five notes (hence penta-tonic) by removing the 4 and 7.
For the C major pentatonic scale, you will omit the F and B notes:
C major pentatonic on string 2(B)
The intervallic spelling of the major pentatonic scale is therefore:
R-2-3-5-6
C major pentatonic (G-Shape/Position 5)
The notes of the major pentatonic scale can be found in a clockwise 5-segment section of the outer
layer when beginning on your chosen Root.
Here’s that C major pentatonic scale from 12 o’clock to 5 o’clock:
C major pentatonic in The Circle
Of course, the notes do not appear in sequential, intervallic order. There is some reorganisation to do,
but it’s another neat trick of The Circle.
It’s also interesting to consider how the

major pentatonic scale is formed from a
series of ascending perfect fifths.
Let’s use this new vision to quickly find the

notes of the E♭ major pentatonic scale.
Simply place your focus on the E♭ note at
the 9 o’clock position and add the next four
clockwise segments (see right).
Let’s check that on the fretboard to confirm

that we’ve got the right notes:
E♭ major pentatonic (G-Shape / Position 5)
Minor Pentatonic Scale
For the minor pentatonic scale, things aren’t quite as clean but it still works. Like we saw with the
major scale and keys, the major pentatonic scale has its relative minor pentatonic scale.
The notes of the C major pentatonic (you may have noticed) share the same appearance on the
fretboard as the A minor pentatonic scale:
A minor pentatonic (Em-Shape/Position 1)
The notes are the same, but the Root / tonal centre is now the A note, not the C.
In that way, the intervals of the minor pentatonic scale are:
R-♭3-4-5-♭7
A minor pentatonic (intervals)
The relative minor pentatonic scale of any major pentatonic scale is found in the same segment of the
inner layer of The Circle, just like the relative keys.
For example, the G major pentatonic scale shares the same notes as the E minor pentatonic scale.
The D minor pentatonic scale shares the same notes as the F major pentatonic scale, etc.
For the notes of the minor pentatonic scale we remain in a 5-segment section of the outer layer.
Since the minor pentatonic scale contains both the 4 and 5, you’ll need to add segments on both sides
of your chosen Root
You add one segment clockwise from the

Root and three segments counterclockwise.
As I said, not quite as clean but still another

useful reference.
A minor pentatonic in The Circle
For a final example, let’s check out the C minor pentatonic scale. Remember, one segment
clockwise, three segments counterclockwise:
C minor pentatonic in The Circle
C minor pentatonic (Em-Shape/Position 1)
Test Your Knowledge
From looking at The Circle:
1. C minor pentatonic share the same notes as which major pentatonic scale?
2. E major pentatonic share the same notes as which minor pentatonic scale?
3. What are the 5 notes of the B♭ major pentatonic scale?
4. What are the 5 notes of the B minor pentatonic scale?
5. What are the 5 notes of the F major pentatonic scale?
6. What are the 5 notes of the G minor pentatonic scale
Circle Fact 10: The Circle is a guide in the study of Intervals
(Advanced concept)
There is yet more that The Circle provides us! In these final sections we shall be exploring some more
advanced concepts that can help you learn or reinforce your understanding of certain aspects of
music theory. The first advanced concept refers to the study of intervals.
Intervals around The Circle
There is a beautiful mirroring of the different musical intervals when you map them out on The Circle.
Here are how all the segments (when identified as notes) relate back to C at the 12 o’clock position:
The upward arrow (↑) is a higher interval (going up) and the downward arrow (↓) is a lower interval
(going down).
Clockwise a certain number of steps around The Circle will take you up a certain interval.
Counterclockwise the same amount of steps will take you down the same interval.
Clockwise one step is up a perfect fifth, moving from R to 5 (C to G) in the major scale.
Counterclockwise one step is down a perfect fifth, like moving from 5 to R (C to F) in the major
scale.
Up or down a perfect fifth from C
Moving down a certain interval can also be thought of as moving up a different interval.
For example, counterclockwise one step (or, if you like clockwise eleven steps) is up a perfect
fourth, like moving from R to 4 (C to F) in the major scale.
Clockwise one step is, therefore, down a perfect fourth, like moving from 4 to 1 (C to G) in the
major scale.
Up or down a perfect fourth from C
This mirroring of ascending or descending intervals continues around The Circle.
Here’s the same information as a table, viewing each interval from a clockwise or counterclockwise
movement around The Circle :
Clockwise Counterclockwise
Up Down
steps ↻ steps ↺
1 Perfect 5th Perfect 4th 11
2 Major 2nd Minor 7th 10
3 Major 6th Minor 3rd 9
4 Major 3rd Minor 6th 8
5 Major 7th Minor 2nd 7
6 Diminished 5th Diminished 5th 6
7 Minor 2nd Major 7th 5
8 Minor 6th Major 3rd 4
9 Minor 3rd Major 6th 3
10 Minor 7th Major 2nd 2
11 Perfect 4th Perfect 5th 1
12 Perfect octave Perfect octave 0
Interval Insight
The Circle can be used as a way to check common intervals that you are likely to need in your lead
(and indeed, rhythm) playing. Let’s consider forming some arpeggios from an E Root note.
The first interval is the perfect 5th, found in all major and minor chords and arpeggios.
As we know, one step clockwise will give you the interval of a perfect 5th. The 5 of an E major (or
minor arpeggio) will therefore be the note B.
The other key interval in chord and arpeggio construction is the third.
The major third (3) above any note will
always be four steps clockwise.
Remember to be naming the note
spanning three alphabet letters if there
are sharp/flat alternatives.
Four steps clockwise from E is A♭, but as

we are identifying it as a third, we must
use the G! name instead (E-F-G!, not E-
F-G-A♭):
Mapping those three notes on the

fretboard will then give you all the
possibilities for E major triads and E
major arpeggios shapes:
Notes of the E major triad/arpeggio
Intervals of the E major triad/arpeggio
Let’s source a minor third instead for the E minor triad. The minor third (♭3) above any note will
always be three steps counterclockwise. Again, be careful to name the note correctly.
Three steps counterclockwise
from E is G which works as a third
above E, spanning three alphabet
letters (E-F-G):
Again, mapping those three notes

on the fretboard will then give you
all the possibilities for the E minor
triads and E minor arpeggios
shapes.
Notes of the E minor triad/arpeggio
Intervals of the E minor triad/arpeggio
This is not necessarily the best way to learn the note names of your chords and arpeggios, but it can
serve as a useful reference if ever you are unsure.
We’ll explore chord construction from The Circle in the next section.
9 is the Magic Number
Did you notice that each interval and its inversion adds up to 9?
For example, F up to C is a perfect 5th whereas, if you invert the two notes, C to F is a perfect 4th:
F to C is a perfect fifth, whereas C up to F is a perfect fourth
Perfect 5th + Perfect 4th
5+4=9
9 is the magic number to unlock the interval inversion concept. When you invert any interval, deduct
it from nine and you have the new interval.
For example, if you invert a second, you will get a… 9 minus 2 = a seventh.
If you invert a third you will get a… 9 minus 3 = a sixth.
Perfect intervals remain perfect when they are inverted. The same can not be said for major (or
minor) intervals. Inverted major intervals become minor, inverted minor intervals will become major.
For example, a major third (C-E) inverts to a minor sixth (E-C)
The Tritone / Tritone Substitution
Notes of a tritone, considered one of the most dissonant intervals in music, are directly opposite
one another in The Circle.
The interval of the tritone is three whole steps

(or three tones, hence tri-tone) and is a very
special interval with a particular tension that is
used to great effect in dominant chords. It also
gives each of the major scale modes their
distinctive flavour (as we’ll discover later).
The tritone is named either a diminished 5th or

augmented 4th (depending on how you identify
the notes). C to G♭ is a diminished 5th, whereas
C to F! would be an augmented 4th.
[Flattening a perfect interval (i.e. ♭5) makes it

‘diminished’. Sharpening a perfect interval (!4)
The Six Tritones in The Circle
makes it ‘augmented’.]
The tritone is the only interval that is the same distance in either direction, 6 frets up or 6 frets down
(6 frets being three whole steps), so it divides an octave perfectly in half:
The Tritone in either direction from the C note (6 frets)
The tritone occurs in one place in the major scale, between the 4 and 7.
For the C major scale that is the notes of F and B (shown in green in The Circle, above). These notes
are, in turn, the 3 and ♭7 of the dominant 7th in the key of C major, G7 (G-B-D-F).
The tension created by the tritone in the dominant 7th gets released as the G7 moves to its tonic, the
C major chord. The B note want to move up a half step to C and the F note wants to move down a half
step to the E note. Hear that tension-resolution as you play the chord sequence below:
ii7 V7 I
The tension-resolution of the V7-I progression (key of C major)
There is another chord which will contain the same tritone and so could be used instead of a G7. This
is what is commonly known as a tritone substitution, and The Circle tells us how to do it!
This generally comes up in jazz studies, but it’s not difficult to do with The Circle.
To know the chord to substitute for the G7, simply
look to The Circle for the tritone of the G Root
note. Immediately opposite G is the note D♭.
The chord of D♭7 will contain the note of B (named

enharmonically as C♭) and F and so you can replace
the G7 with a D♭7 for an equally satisfying ending
to a progression in the key of C major:
ii7 ♭II7 I
The tritone substitution (D♭7 for G7)
If you want to try a tritone substitution, simply find the Root note of your V7 chord and replace it with
the dominant 7th chord whose Root note is on the direct opposite side of The Circle.
Test Your Knowledge
Using The Circle intervals can you answer the following questions?
1. What note is a perfect 5th above B♭?

2. What note is a perfect 5th below A?
3. What note is a minor 7th above D?
4. What note is a major 3rd above B?
5. What is a tritone above D?
6. What is a tritone above E♭?
7. What is the tritone substitution for a E7 Chord (in the key of A major)?
8. What is the tritone substitution for a C7 Chord (in the key of F major)?
Circle Fact 11: Chord ‘Shapes’ can be formed in The Circle
(Advanced concept)
In the previous section we began seeing how to form major and minor arpeggios by counting around
The Circle the requisite number of steps to find the third and the fifth above a chosen Root note.
In doing this we’re also creating chords and, in this section, we’ll take a look at some interesting
shapes within The Circle that relate specifically to chord spellings.
We’re going to form some three- and four-sided shapes within The Circle by linking up segments to
see what interesting things occur!
As a reminder, always be careful with enharmonic note and be sure that any notes found in The Flat Side
are named correctly.
Power Chords
The first example is nice and easy. We used the idea of the power chord to help create The Circle
right at the very start.
Let’s just review that once again as the Root and perfect fifth which make a power chord are a
fundamental part of most other chord forms.
To create a power chord, you choose your Root

note and add the note which is one step clockwise
around The Circle.
Power Chord = R-5

C5 Power Chord = C-G

Sus Chords and Quartal Harmony
For a sus2 chord, you add an additional clockwise segment to the power chord. Three neighbouring
segments (starting on your chosen Root) will give you the three notes of a sus2 chord (in the order
R-5-2):
Sus2 Chord = R-2-5

(Root + Major 2nd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root)
Csus2 = C-D-G
(Root + Major 2nd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root)
If we adding neighbouring segments, it’s like

stacking power chords (perfect fifths) on top of
one another, which is exactly what you do on the
guitar to play the ‘power chord’ sus2.
Csus2 (‘power chord’ sus2)
When raising the octave Root note of the extended power chord a whole step, you are adding in the 2,
giving a sus2 chord (arranged R-5-2). The D note is identified as a 2 and not 9 because the chord
does not contain a third.
If you view the sus2 counterclockwise in The Circle (2-5-R), a sus2 could be formed from stacking
perfect 4ths (D-G-C), with the Root as the highest note in pitch:
Csus2 formed from stacked perfect fourths
A sus4 chord is created in a similar way. This time, you add a counterclockwise segment (from the
Root of the power chord).
Three neighbouring segments (with your chosen

Root in the middle) will give you the notes of a sus4
chord (4-R-5).
Sus4 Chord = R-4-5

(Root + Perfect 4th above Root+Perfect 5th above Root)
Csus4 = C-F-G
(Root + Perfect 4th above Root+Perfect 5th above Root)
The sus4 can also, therefore, be formed from stacked perfect fifths or perfect fourths with the Root
note in the middle:
Csus4 formed from stacked perfect fifths and perfect fourths
So…that means that Fsus2 shares the same notes as Csus4. What if G was considered the Root of
this 3-note chord voicing?
You’ve got one way you can play a G7sus4. Over a G Root, F is the minor seventh (♭7) and C is the
perfect fourth (4).
You can really hear that if we take the following chord shape…
…and place each of the the three notes as the lowest note, giving our ear the sense that it is the Root:
That G7sus4 really wants to move to the C chord in a V7-I cadence.
This highlights one of the reasons why sus chords can sound so open and ambiguous. Any of the three
notes within a sus chord shape could be the Root.
Forming chords from neighbouring segments of The Circle creates chords from quartal harmony.
This is building chords from stacked fourths (as opposed to tertian/tertiary harmony which refers to
stacked thirds - the more common approach).
This openness and ambiguity in the chords makes for a great harmonic backdrop when playing in a
specific mode.
Triads
For the major triad, choose your Root, add the

segment one step clockwise (5) and another
segment four steps clockwise from your Root (3):
Major Triad = R-3-5

(Root + Major 3rd above Root + Perfect 5th above Root)
C Major Triad = C-E-G

(Root + Major 3rd above Root + Perfect 5th above Root)
The triangle shape that is formed by linking the

three intervals will work for every major triad around
C Major Triad in The Circle
The Circle:
All the major triads in The Circle
For the minor triad, choose your Root, add the
segment one step clockwise (5) and another
segment three steps counterclockwise from your
Root (♭3):
Minor Triad = R-♭3-5

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root + Perfect 5th above Root)
C Minor Triad = C-E♭-G

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root + Perfect 5th above Root)
Again, the minor triangle shape, formed by linking

the three intervals together, works for every minor C Minor Triad in The Circle
triad around The Circle:
All the minor triads in The Circle
So, the 3 (E) and ♭3 (E♭) above C are only one fret apart on the guitar, yet they are on opposite sides
of The Circle! Even more interesting, the major and minor triads are a direct reflection of one
another:
The major and minor triads are a perfect reflection
(along the dotted line)
The diminished triad is equally interesting as it creates an isosceles triangle, which includes the
tritone straight across The Circle:
Diminished Triad = R-♭3-♭5

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root + Diminished 5th above Root)
Cdim = C-E♭-G♭
(Root + Minor 3rd above Root + Diminished 5th above Root)
The tritone is between the Root and ♭5 interval.
Remember that the tritone occurs between the 4

and 7 of the major scale. C diminished (Cdim or
Co) occurs in the D♭ major scale. The 4 and 7 of
the D♭ major scale are…G♭ and C.
C Diminished Triad in The Circle
Now something very interesting…augmented triads create an equilateral triangle:
Augmented Triad = R-3-!5

(Root + Major 3rd above Root + Augmented 5th above Root)
Caug = C-E-G!"
(Root + Major 3rd above Root + Augmented 5th above Root)
You’ll notice that all three of the notes are red in

The Circle. The augmented triad is a wondrous
chord in which there is a major third between
each note (4 steps clockwise). As a result, any
note could be considered the Root:
C Augmented Triad in The Circle

Caug = Eaug = A♭aug
The symmetry in the chord can be seen on the fretboard with the repeating shape formed by the
chord tones:
Caug Triad on the Guitar Fretboard
There are, on that basis, only four augmented triads with any of the three notes each one contains
being the possible Root. That’s beautifully seen in The Circle as we link up each of the three note
groupings:
The augmented triads
Seventh Chords (4 segments)
Seventh chords are formed by stacking an additional third onto the R-3-5 of the triad. Seventh
chords contain a Root, third, fifth and seventh (R-3-5-7). What kind of third, fifth and seventh will
determine what kind of seventh chord you are playing.
Adding a fourth note to the triad will create quadrilateral (four-sided) shapes inside The Circle.
Major Seventh Chord = R-3-5-7

(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Major 7th above Root)
(Major Triad + Major 7th)
Cmaj7 = C-E-G-B
(C Major Triad + Major 7th)
Cmaj7 in The Circle
Seeing the major seventh chord in The Circle highlights how the chord is built from two perfect 5th
intervals (between the R-5 and between the 3-7).
Therefore, an E5 power chord (and its inversion) over a C bass note will give the sound of the Cmaj7:
Minor Seventh Chord = R-♭3-5-♭7

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root)
(Minor Triad + Minor 7th)
Cm7 = C-E♭-G-B♭
(C Minor Triad + Minor 7th)
Cm7 in The Circle
Like the major seventh, the minor seventh chord also contains two perfect 5th intervals (between the
R-5 and between the ♭3-♭7).
This time, an E♭5 power chord (and its inversion) over a C bass note will give the sound of the Cm7:
The tritone found within the dominant seventh becomes very evident when mapped out in The Circle:
Dominant Seventh Chord = R-3-5-♭7

(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root)
(Major Triad + Minor 7th)
C7 = C-E-G-B♭
(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root)
(Major Triad + Minor 7th)
C7 in The Circle
The tritone between the E and B♭ over a C bass note gives the sound of the C7 (notice how the
tritone has the same diagonal shape whichever inversion is used):
The half diminished seventh chord (or m7(♭5)) has a very similar shape to the dominant seventh:
Half Diminished Seventh Chord = R-♭3-♭5-♭7

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Diminished 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root)
(Diminished Triad + Minor 7th)
Cm7(♭5) = C-E♭-G♭-B♭
(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Diminished 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root)
(Diminished Triad + Minor 7th)
Cm7(♭5) in The Circle
Again, E♭5/C can be used to represent a Cm7♭5 chord (for example in a minor 2-5-1):
iio7 V7 i7
Tritone Substitution (Part 2)
C7 is the dominant 7th in the key of F major. If you reflect the C7 chord you get the Em7(♭5), the
viio7 chord in the key of F major:
Em7(♭5) is a reflection of C7 (along the dotted line)
Both chords contain the tritone between the E and B♭ notes. As such, the Em7♭5 can be used like a
dominant 7th chord.
In fact, it’s found within the dominant ninth chord (it’s the 3-5-♭7-9):
Dominant Ninth Chord = R-3-5-♭7-9

(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root+Major 9th above Root)
C9 = C-E-G-B♭-D
(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Minor 7th above Root+Major 9th above Root)
The Em7♭5 can therefore be used in a V7-I move in the key of F, acting as a C9 chord:
Reflecting the Em7(♭5) gives you the tritone substitution for the C7, G♭7:
The tritone substitution is a reflection of the m7(♭5)
Reflecting the G♭7 will give you the Bbm7(♭5), which, as we saw above, is like the G♭9.
Bbm7(♭5) is a reflection of G♭7
Each chord contains the tritone between E and B♭ which will resolve the the F major chord. Seeing
the shapes in The Circle helps to explain why this works.
Each of the four chords contains the E-B♭ tritone
Diminished Seventh
The diminished seventh is a four-note symmetrical chord in which there is an equal distance between
each note. Each chord tone is a minor third apart (3 steps counterclockwise) which, when linked up,
form a square within The Circle:
Diminished Seventh Chord = R-♭3-♭5-♭♭7

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Diminished 5th above Root+Diminished 7th above Root)
(Diminished Triad + Diminished 7th)
Cdim7 = C-E♭-G♭-B♭♭
(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Diminished 5th above Root+Diminished 7th above Root)
(Diminished Triad + Diminished 7th)
B double flat is enharmonically A, so some players identify the diminished seventh with a major 6th
instead of the diminished 7th (remembering that 3 steps clockwise is up a major 6th - C to A):
Cdim7 = C-E♭-G♭-A
(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Diminished 5th above Root+Major 6th above Root)
(Diminished Triad + Major 6th)
Being a symmetrical seventh chord, any of the notes can be considered the Root:
Cdim7 = E♭dim7 = F!dim7 = Adim7
That symmetry can be seen if we map out the notes of Cdim7 on the fretboard:
Seeing it in The Circle and on the fretboard highlights how the diminished seventh chord is formed
from two tritones (C⬌G♭, A⬌E♭).
The two tritones found within the diminished seventh chord
This explains why the diminished seventh is such a versatile chord and be used like a dominant
seventh chord to resolve in one of many different directions.
Alternatively, you could say that the chord is formed from two minor third intervals which, when
inverted, is two major sixth intervals.
The two major sixths found within the diminished seventh chord
There are only three diminished seventh chords with any of the four notes each chord contains being
the possible Root. Again, it makes a beautiful image in The Circle:
All the Diminished Seventh Chords
5-Segment Chords?
There are two more chords I wanted to share with you, both of which will encompass 5 neighbouring
segments of The Circle.
We saw in Circle Fact 9 that the major pentatonic scale was found in five clockwise segments. If
you play those notes together as a chord, you have a 6/9 chord (or 6add9)- the sound of the major
pentatonic scale.
6/9 Chord = R-3-5-6-9

(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Major 6th above Root+Major 9th above Root)
C6/9 = C-E-G-D-A
(Root + Major 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root+Major 6th above Root+Major 9th above Root)
C6/9 in The Circle
Whilst it contains a major triad, the chord shapes on the fretboard reflect the quartal harmony in its
construction, clearly seen in The Circle.
The 6/9 is a major chord without a seventh. It’s a common substitution for the Imaj7 chord in jazz
harmony. The 6/9 chord sounds very much at rest, even more so than the major 7th chord (with its
half step clash between the Root and major 7th).
Here’s an example of a 2-5-1 using the 6/9 chord:
A chord made from ascending perfect 5ths (clockwise around The Circle) sounds warm and cuddly.
A chord made from ascending perfect 4ths, on the other hand (counterclockwise around The Circle),
sounds completely different, distinctly cold and uninviting.
Minor 7add11 Chord = R-♭3-5-♭7-11

(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root +Minor 7th above Root+Perfect 11th above Root)
Cm7add11 = C-E♭-G-B♭-F
(Root + Minor 3rd above Root+Perfect 5th above Root +Minor 7th above Root+Perfect 11th above Root)
Cm7add11 in The Circle
Like the minor pentatonic scale, this chord makes most sense with three counterclockwise segments
and one clockwise segment from the chosen Root note.
This chord is the sound of the minor pentatonic scale, and would be a perfect backing for some minor
pentatonic scale practice.
You can see from the second shape with the Root note on string 6(E) that this chord voicing matches
the standard tuning of the guitar. So, if you’ve ever wondered, you could think of the open strings as
an Em7add11.
You’ll more commonly play the Cm7add11 by omitting the 5, the G note. Thinking about it, if you
remove the G note you’re left with an E♭sus2/C:
Adding a C bass note to the E♭sus2 gives three voicings of the Cm7add11
You could also say that the E♭6/9 chord is an inversion of a Cm7add11, as it contains all the same
notes.
The Circle offers a deeper understanding of chord construction and, in turn, will open up different
voicing possibilities on the fretboard. Every chord could be mapped out and linked up in The Circle.
Doing so can allow you to make new discoveries or reinforce existing knowledge.
Test Your Knowledge
Use your new understanding of chord construction provided by The Circle to answer the following
questions:
1. What the notes of an A♭ power chord (A♭5)?

2. What are the notes of a B♭sus2?
3. A-E-B could be named as what three chords?
4. What are the notes of a Gsus4?
5. What are the notes of an A diminished triad?
6. What interval separates each chord tone in an augmented triad?
7. Which notes form the tritone in the F7 (F dominant 7th) chord?
8. The m7(♭5) chord closely resembles which dominant chord?
9. What interval separates each chord tone in a diminished seventh chord?
10. What major chord is formed by 5 clockwise segments of The Circle?
Circle Fact 12: The Circle is a guide in the study of Major Scale
Modes (Advanced concept)
Back in Circle Fact 7 we saw that the seven chords in a major key could be found in a seven
segment slice of the outer layer of The Circle.
If it works for chords, and chords are derived from scales, the notes of the major scale can also be
found in the same seven-segment slice.
But not only that, each of the major scale modes can also be found within The Circle. This is very cool
and something I only realised recently in my own studies.
Brightest to Darkest
The common approach when first tackling modes is to learn them in order of how they appear from
each note of the major scale.
The seven modes that are created from the notes of the C major scale are:
Scale Root
Mode Notes Parallel Analysis
Degree Note
1 C Ionian CDEFGAB R-2-3-4-5-6-7
2 D Dorian DEFGABC R-2-♭3-4-5-6-♭7
3 E Phrygian E F G A B C D R-♭2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
4 F Lydian FGABCDE R-2-3-!4-5-6-7
5 G Mixolydian G A B C D E F R-2-3-4-5-6-♭7
6 A Aeolian ABCDEFG R-2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
7 B Locrian B C D E F G A R-♭2-♭3-4-♭5-♭6-♭7
The notes of the C major scale (known in mode parlance as C Ionian), are also the notes of another
six different modes (scales) that share the same notes and, therefore, the same key signature and
chords.
What changes with each mode is the note which we consider to be the tonal centre (Root).
When we discussed the relative minors in Circle Fact 6, we established that the notes of C major
were also the notes of A natural minor. This same principle can apply to every note of the major scale
to create seven modes in total.
Relating a mode to its parent major scale is commonly termed the derivate approach to
modes.
For example, A Aeolian (the name given to the natural minor scale) is the sixth mode of the C major
scale. C major is the parent major scale of A Aeolian.
This derivative approach is helpful insofar as it tells us the key signature. Beyond that, it doesn’t give
much more and, at worst, it can confuse players or prevent them from truly unlocking the subtleties
of each mode.
The alternative (more valuable) approach to modes, which I have added to the table above is the
parallel approach, in which you compare the intervals of each mode to its major scale equivalent
(i.e. the major scale from the same Root note).
For example, looking at the table above, F Lydian (under ‘parallel analysis’) is very close to the major
scale but it has a !4. Its 4th scale degree will be B. With F being one step counterclockwise on The
Circle, we know its key signature is one flat, B♭.
When that B♭ note is raised (sharpened) to a B natural, you have the sound of the F Lydian mode.
F lydian mode on String 1(E)
It’s important to stress here that if you want to really hear the F lydian mode as you play it you need
to be playing these notes over an F pedal note or an F major chord.
If you play F lydian without any backing track, your ear is likely to hear it as you playing C major
because the major scale is so deep-rooted in our ears.
Modes are all about context. A constant note or a chord gives that context.
The Lydian mode is considered the brightest of all the modes as none of the scale degrees have been
flattened. Moreover, one of the scale degrees has been sharpened, making it even brighter than the
major scale.
The other modes become increasingly darker as, one-by-one, the scale degrees are flattened, ending
in the darkest of all, the Locrian mode.
Think about it, B major has 5 sharps in its key signature, found in the 5 o’clock position in The Sharp
Side of The Circle.
B Locrian has all 5 of those sharp notes flattened (as its parent major scale has no sharps), making it
the darkest and most sinister sounding of all the modes.
Below is each mode by interval mapped out on a single string. we go from brightest to darkest,
Lydian to Locrian:
The darkest contains the most number of flattened intervals. The modes become brighter (nicer
sounding) as you gradually raise (sharpen) each of the intervals in the scale (seen on the left of the
image above).
Memorise the order:
Lydian - Ionian - Mixolydian - Dorian - Aeolian - Phrygian - Locrian
The modes, in order of brightest to darkest, from the C major parent scale are therefore:
Scale Root
Mode Notes Parallel Analysis
Degree Note
4 F Lydian FGABCDE R-2-3-!4-5-6-7
1 C Ionian CDEFGAB R-2-3-4-5-6-7
5 G Mixolydian G A B C D E F R-2-3-4-5-6-♭7
2 D Dorian DEFGABC R-2-♭3-4-5-6-♭7
6 A Aeolian ABCDEFG R-2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
3 E Phrygian E F G A B C D R-♭2-♭3-4-5-♭6-♭7
7 B Locrian B C D E F G A R-♭2-♭3-4-♭5-♭6-♭7
The first three are the major modes (Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian). The next three are the minor modes
(Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian). Locrian is considered a diminished mode (with the diminished 5th
between its Root and fifth scale degree).
See anything familiar? Look at the order of the notes in column 2 (‘Root Note’). It’s the order of
sharp and flat notes which, as we saw in Circle Fact 5 was found in The Circle.
The order of modes from brightest to darkest is also in a clockwise order around The Circle!
The modes in order of brightness in The Circle
You can identify the modes derived from any major scale by adding one counterclockwise step from
your chosen Root and labelling each segment with the mode names in descending brightness (Lydian
to Locrian).
For example, if I wanted to know the

modes of the E♭ major scale, I visualise
one segment counterclockwise from E♭
and add the next six clockwise
segments, labelling each step with the
corresponding mode.
Each of these modes will have the same

key signature as E♭ major (E♭ Ionian) i.e
three flats (B♭, E♭ and A♭).
Very useful, but what if I want to know

the key signature of a chosen mode
without needing to know its parent major scale? The Circle can tell us!
Knowing the order of modes by brightness will allow you to work out the notes of any mode from the
same Root note, simply by moving the seven-segment section the requisite number of
counterclockwise steps.
Seven Modes from the same Root note
In demonstrating this concept the Root note remains constant (C), but the seven-segment section
moves progressively counterclockwise, passing through each of the seven modes in order of brightest
(Lydian) to darkest (Locrian).
This time we’ve reflected the order of the modes, placing them counterclockwise around The Circle
from our chosen Root note. But remember, using this approach the Root note will not change.
I have provided fretboard diagrams for each mode. Explore the sound of each one with a C pedal note
in a loop (or seek out a drone backing track on YouTube).
As we work through each mode, notice

where the TRITONE is in each mode.
Remember that it goes directly across
The Circle and will occur between the
two notes on the extremity of the
seven-segment section.
At least one of the notes of the tritone

gives each mode its characteristic
sound, its flavour.
You can also see where the tritone is

located in the scale formula of each
mode. Look out for the three
consecutive whole steps (W-W-W).
Look out for the Tritone
C Lydian
Starting on the C at 12 o’clock, seven

steps clockwise (including C) will give you
the seven notes of the C Lydian mode.
Notice here that the F!/G♭ enharmonic at
6 o’clock will be named as F! as the scale
already contains the G natural note:
Arranging the notes in order from C allows

the parallel comparison to the C major
scale. The characteristic interval of the
Lydian mode is the augmented 4th (!4)
and, to a lesser extent, the major 7th (7).
TRITONE - between C (R) and F! (!4)
C LYDIAN
W W W H W W H
R 2 3 !4 5 6 7 R
C D E F! G A B C
C Lydian on the fretboard
C Ionian (C Major Scale)
C Ionian (C major scale) is derived from

The Circle by moving the slice one step
counterclockwise from C, replacing the
F! with F t 11 o’clock.
We saw this pattern previously when

considering the chords in a major key.
Arranging the notes in order from C gives

C major scale whose characteristic
intervals are the perfect 4th (4) and major
7th (7).
TRITONE - between F (4) and B (7)
C IONIAN
W W H W W W H
R 2 3 4 5 6 7 R
C D E F G A B C
C Ionian (C Major Scale)
C Mixolydian
C Mixolydian is derived by moving the slice

two steps counterclockwise from C,
replacing the F! and B notes with F at 11
o’clock and B♭ at 10 o’clock.

Mixolydian mode is the minor 7th (♭7) and,
to a lesser extent, the perfect 4th (4).
TRITONE - between B♭ (♭7) and E (3)
C MIXOLYDIAN
W W H W W H W
R 2 3 4 5 6 ♭7 R
C D E F G A B♭ C
C Mixolydian
C Dorian
C Dorian, the first minor mode (containing

a ♭3), is derived by moving the segment
three steps counterclockwise from
C, which will replace the E note with the
minor third, E♭.

Dorian mode is the major 6th (6).
TRITONE - between E♭ (♭3) and A (6)
C DORIAN
W H W W W H W
R 2 ♭3 4 5 6 ♭7 R
C D E♭ F G A B♭ C
C Dorian
C Aeolian (C Natural Minor)
C Aeolian (C natural minor), is derived

from The Circle by moving the slice four
steps counterclockwise from C,
which will replace the A note with the
minor sixth, A♭.
Arranging the notes in order from C

allows the parallel comparison to the C
major scale. The characteristic intervals
of the Aeolian mode is the minor 6th (♭6).
TRITONE - between A♭ (♭6) and D (2)
C AEOLIAN
W H W W H W W
R 2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 R
C D E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C
C Aeolian (C Natural Minor)
C Phrygian
C Phrygian is derived by moving the slice

five steps counterclockwise from C,
which will replace the D note with the
minor second, D♭.

major scale. The characteristic interval of
the Phrygian mode is the minor 2nd (♭2).
TRITONE - between D♭ (♭2) and G (5)
C PHRYGIAN
H W W W H W W
R ♭2 ♭3 4 5 ♭6 ♭7 R
C D♭ E♭ F G A♭ B♭ C
C Phrygian
C Locrian
C Locrian, the darkest of all the major

scale modes, is the mirror-image of the
Lydian mode around The Circle.
C Locrian is derived from by moving the

slice six steps counterclockwise
from C, which will replace the G note with
the diminished 5th, G♭ (identified as such
(and not F!) as the scale already contains
a F natural note).

major scale. The characteristic interval of the Locrian mode is the diminished 5th (♭5), making it the
only diminished mode.
TRITONE - between G♭ (♭5) and C (R)
C LOCRIAN
H W W H W W W
R ♭2 ♭3 4 ♭5 ♭6 ♭7 R
C D♭ E♭ F G♭ A♭ B♭ C
C Locrian
In summary, to work out any mode from The Circle:
1. Choose your Root note;

2. Visualise the clockwise seven-segment slice; and
3. Move that slice counterclockwise the relevant number of steps for each mode:
Mode ↺ steps
Lydian 0
Ionian 1
Mixolydian 2
Dorian 3
Aeolian 4
Phrygian 5
Locrian 6
There’s obviously a lot more that can be said about the modes, but hopefully this gives some new
insight into knowing the notes that each mode will contain and which particular intervals provide their
characteristic sound. And it’s yet another gift The Circle provides!
Test Your Knowledge
1. Which mode is the ‘brightest’?

2. Which mode is the ‘darkest’?
3. Name the three ‘major’ modes
4. Name the three ‘minor’ modes
5. From which major scale is C Dorian derived?
6. From which major scale is C Lydian derived?
7. From which major scale is A Phrygian derived?
8. What are the notes of D Mixolydian?
9. What are the notes of B♭ Dorian?
10. What are the notes of D Aeolian?
Final Words
So there it is! The Circle of Fifths.
I hope that this guide has taken any confusion out of exactly what The Circle is and how it is such an
invaluable reference, worthy of a permanent place on your music stand (or practice room wall).
I like to this we’ve covered most things here, but I still think there’s more gold yet to be discovered!
What follows in the appendices are some printable versions of The Circle and a summary of the
concepts covered.
I hope they are pretty exhaustive but do let me know whether there are any additional resources that
you would benefit from as you continue to explore The Circle.
You can contact me via email at contact@rynaylorguitar.com.
I would love your feedback on the book and, if you enjoyed it and would be willing to share your
experience, a short testimonial that I could share online would be hugely appreciated. You can send
that to me at the email above.
It’s been a real journey of discovery for me writing this book. I hope it provided a few lightbulb
moments for you.
Practice well "
Ry
Appendix 1
The Circle of Fifths
The Circle of Fifths
Appendix 2
Blank Circles
Blank Circles
Appendix 3
Chords in a Major Key
Chords in a Minor Key
Circle Intervals
Circle Chords
Circle Scales
Appendix 4 - Test Your Knowledge Answers
Circle Fact 5
1. E major
4 sharps (F!, C!, G!, D!)
2. E♭ major
3 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭)
3. D♭ major
5 flats (B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭)
4. D major
2 sharps (F!, C!)
5. F major
1 flat (B♭)
Circle Fact 6
1. How many frets lower is the relative minor on the same guitar string?
Three
2. On which major scale degree do we find the relative minor?
The major sixth (6)
3. What intervals change between the major and natural minor scale?
The natural minor scale has a minor 3rd (♭3), minor 6th (♭6), and minor 7th (♭7)
4. What is the relative minor of E♭ major?
C minor
5. What is the relative minor of B major?
G! minor
6. What is the key signature of the G minor scale?
2 flats (B♭, E♭)
7. What is the key signature of the B minor scale?
2 sharps (F!, C!)
8. What is the relative major of the D minor scale?
F major
9. What is the relative major of the F minor scale?
A♭ major
10. Which major and minor keys have exactly 3 sharps?
A major / F! minor
Circle Fact 7
1. Upon which scale degrees do you find the primary chords in a key?
1, 4, 5
2. What is the ‘four’ chord in the key of F major?
B♭ major (B♭)
3. What is the ‘five’ chord in the key of D major?
A major (A)
4. What is the ‘four’ chord in the key of C minor?
F minor (Fm)
5. What is the ‘three' chords in the key of E major?
G! minor (G!m)
6. What is the ‘six' chords in the key of A♭ major?
F minor (Fm)
7. What is the ‘two' chords in the key of E major?
F! minor (F!m)
8. Which chords are found in both the key of B♭ major and C major?
F major (F), D minor (Dm)
9. Which chords are found in both the key of E major and G major?
Zero, there are none
10. How many keys exist in music?
30 - 15 major / 15 minor
Circle Fact 8
1. What key is the following progression: F-Am-Dm-B♭?
F major (I-iii-vi-IV)
2. What key is the following progression: Bm-G-D-A?
B minor (i-♭VI-♭III-♭VII)
3. What key is the following progression: B♭-Cm-A♭-E♭?
E♭ major (V-vi-IV-I)
4. What chords make a I-V-vi-IV in the key of A major?
A-E-F!m-D
5. What chords make a i-iv-♭VI-V in the key of E minor?
Em-Am-C-B
6. What are the chords of a 2-5-1 progression in the key of E♭ major?
Fm-B♭-E♭
7. What are the chords of a 2-5-1 progression in the key of D minor?
Em7♭5-A-Dm
Circle Fact 8 (cont.)
8. How do you locate the secondary dominant of any chord using The Circle?
One step clockwise
9. What is the parallel minor key of A major?
A minor
10. What is the parallel major key of G minor?
G major
Circle Fact 9
1. C minor pentatonic share the same notes as which major pentatonic scale?
E♭ major pentatonic
2. E major pentatonic share the same notes as which minor pentatonic scale?
C! minor pentatonic
3. What are the 5 notes of the B♭ major pentatonic scale?
B♭-F-C-G-D clockwise (in order - B♭-C-D-F-G)
4. What are the 5 notes of the B minor pentatonic scale?
B-D-E-F!-A
5. What are the 5 notes of the F major pentatonic scale?
F-C-G-D-A clockwise (in order - F-G-A-C-D)
6. What are the 5 notes of the G minor pentatonic scale
G-B♭-C-D-F
Circle Fact 10
1. What note is a perfect 5th above B♭?
F
2. What note is a perfect 5th below A?
D
3. What note is a minor 7th above D?
C
4. What note is a major 3rd above B?
D! (identified as E♭ in The Circle)
5. What is a tritone above D?
A♭
6. What is a tritone above E♭?
A (or B♭♭)
7. What is the tritone substitution for a E7 Chord (in the key of A major)?
B♭7
8. What is the tritone substitution for a C7 Chord (in the key of F major)?
G♭7
Circle Fact 11
1. What the notes of an A♭ power chord (A♭5)?
A♭-E♭
2. What are the notes of a B♭sus2?
B♭-C-F
3. A-E-B could be named as what three chords?
Asus2, Esus4, B7sus4
4. What are the notes of a Gsus4?
G-C-D
5. What are the notes of an A diminished triad?
A-C-E♭
6. What interval separates each chord tone in an augmented triad?
Major third
7. Which notes form the tritone in the F7 (F dominant 7th) chord?
A-E♭
8. The m7(♭5) chord closely resembles which dominant chord?
Dominant 9th (9)
9. What interval separates each chord tone in a diminished seventh chord?
Minor third
10. What major chord is formed by 5 clockwise segments of The Circle?
6/9 Chord (6add9)
Circle Fact 12
1. Which mode is the ‘brightest’?
Lydian
2. Which mode is the ‘darkest’?
Locrian
3. Name the three ‘major’ modes
Lydian, Ionian, Mixolydian
4. Name the three ‘minor’ modes
Dorian, Aeolian, Phrygian
5. From which major scale is C Dorian derived?
B♭ major
6. From which major scale is C Lydian derived?
G major
7. From which major scale is A Phrygian derived?
F major
8. What are the notes of D Mixolydian?
D-E-F!-G-A-B-C
9. What are the notes of B♭ Dorian?
B♭-C-D♭-E♭-F-G-A♭
10. What are the notes of D Aeolian?
D-E-F-G-A-B♭-C

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Introduction 5

Using The Circle in your Guitar Practice (Part 1) 52

Already that’s a lot to remember!

See where I’m going with this?

The 12 notes on the piano keyboard

The 12 notes on the guitar fretboard (String 5(A))

The Note Clock

That arrangement is, of course, The Circle of Fifths (‘The Circle’).

The Major Scale

Tonic Vs. Root

C Major Scale on String 2(B)

The C Major Scale

The Major Scale Formula

Whole - Whole - Half - Whole - Whole - Whole - Half

The Perfect Fifth

Perfect 5th horizontally on the same string

Power Chord = R-5

C5 Power Chord = C-G

C is, therefore, the fourth note of the G major scale:

The G Major Scale

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half

G Major Scale on String 3(G)

The Musical Alphabet from G

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Half Whole

• The key signature of C major is no sharps or flats.

Example Key Signatures

The major scale has an identical pattern on the Fretboard

So let’s start building it!

Every segment in The Circle can represent each of the following:

C Major Scale (Root string 6(E))

G is added to The Circle at the 1 o’clock position:

Again, remember that this G in The Circle is representing a G

G major key signature

The 5th fret of string 5(A) is the note D, the 5 of a G5 power

The rule is that a clockwise movement around the sharp side of

The D Major Scale

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half

Let’s see the scale pattern on the fretboard to confirm this:

D Major Scale (Root String 6(E))

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half

Let’s continue and complete the Sharp Side of The Circle.

What’s a perfect 5th above D? Let’s check the D5 power chord:

It’s an A note, so we add it to The Circle at the 3 o’clock

A Major Scale (Root String 6(E))

A Major Scale with its key signature

F! Major Scale (Root String 6(E))

E! doesn’t exist…does it?

The F Sharp Major Scale

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half

F!m and F!m7 chords (notice the ♭3 and ♭7 intervals)

C! Major Scale (Root String 6(E))

Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half

And with C! added, The Sharp Side is complete!

The ‘Sharp Side’ of The Circle

Test Your Knowledge

Five - Four - Three - Two - One

Moving down a perfect 5th with the power chord

Moving up a perfect 4th with the inverted power chord

Ascending perfect 4ths on the fretboard