Bass Clef Circle of Fifths
Every key signature drawn on the bass staff · tap a key to see & hear it
How to play
- Tap a key on the wheel. Its key signature is drawn on the bass clef (F clef) staff, and you hear the scale in a low register.
- Going clockwise adds a sharp each step; counter-clockwise adds a flat. Sharps always appear in the order F C G D A E B, flats in reverse.
- On bass clef the accidentals sit one line/space lower than on treble — e.g. the first sharp (F♯) is on the fourth line, and the first flat (B♭) on the middle line. The relative minor is shown inside the wheel.
- Vol sets volume. Keyboard — Tab to a key or button, Enter/Space to activate.
· minor inside
If you want to see, hear, and even play around with all the key signatures available on the bass clef, then this widget is for you. It’s a bit like playing with one of those ‘keyboard’ widgets you get in magazines but actualy has some use. It will function as a visual reminder of what each key signature look like, but also act as an audio reference to allow you to hear what those keys sounds like at a lower range.
At its heart is this circle of fifths wheel showing the twelve major keys. Simply tap one of these keys and it will draw the signature for the key you’ve chosen onto staff to the right. On the outer ring, there are the major keys, with their corresponding relative minor key immediately inside the circle. If you choose a key, then you’ll hear an audio preview of the major scale played in the lower range.
How to Use This Tool
It is controlled via keyboard. Instead of a mouse, use your keyboard to click around buttons and wheel. To move focus around on different controls and key buttons, simply hit the tab key to highlight each one until you see a ring surrounding it. Hit the spacebar or enter key to activate that key or button. With this method, you don’t need to take your hands off your keyboard to cycle through the keys.
On the right hand side are the staff of notes that visually represent the chosen key. This staff is called the bass clef or sometimes the F clef. Observe how the sharps and flats sits on different lines and spaces different than they do on a treble clef staff. The first sharp is on the fourth line down, for instance. The relative minor key is shown below the staff for quick reference.
Below the staff, you’ll notice two playback buttons that plays back the chosen harmony. There is a play chord button which plays the full major triad consisting of root note plus the third, fifth, and octave. There is also a play scale button that plays the major scale starting on the chosen root note ascending. This allows for a comparison between the vertical sound of the chord and the linear sound of the scale.
A master output level can be controlled by using the volume slider at the bottom of screen. Simply drag the handle to the left to reduce the volume or right to raise it. This may be handy if you wish to focus on the visual aspect without distraction or are in a quieter place. As you try out the keys, the slider will remember how you have set the volume.
Want some more screen real estate? Switch to full screen mode. To do so, click the full screen button in the top right corner. This will expand the widget to fill your entire browser window. It’s great for small laptops and mobile devices where it makes the text bigger and easier to read. Press escape or click the button again, to go back to normal size.
There’s also a help panel if you’d like a brief reminder about the controls. Press the “how to play” button to see a tip and feature summary that describes keyboard navigation, the order of sharps and flats, etc. This help panel can be hidden again as needed, freeing up some room for musical interface.
Explore the circle, listening in one direction then the other and you’ll discover how keys are related. If you travel clockwise, you add sharps; if counterclockwise, you get flats. As you move around the wheel, listen for the change of tonal center. On the inside ring, you may like to compare the major with its relative minor.
Next, spend a little time getting familiar with how these accidentals are written in bass clef. Pick each key out and say the note names as you do so, it helps make the visual pattern stick in your head. Before long you’ll be able to see that accidentals follow a certain order which you don’t need to count each time. That’s what this tool is for, making it instant and intuitive.
Begin by choosing C major, to hear a staff with no flats or sharps. Next choose G major and listen for the single sharp that now occupies space on the staff. Play through the scale and become familiar with how it sounds in this key. Continue working around the circle until you are familiar with each signature. As you do so your eye and ear will learn together.
You should of used it more often.