Circle of Fifths Wheel
Major keys outside, their relative minors inside · each step clockwise adds a sharp
How to play
- Tap a key on the wheel to see its key signature (how many sharps or flats) and hear its chord.
- The outer ring is the major keys; the inner ring is the relative minor lined up with each major (they share a key signature).
- Going clockwise adds one sharp each step (C→G→D…); going anticlockwise adds one flat (C→F→B♭…).
- Keys next to each other on the wheel sound closely related — that’s why so many songs move between them. Vol sets volume.
- Keyboard — Tab to any key on the wheel, Enter/Space to select.
This is an interactive music tool that lets you see key signatures and hear how chords relates in a visual form.
There are two methods for interacting with The Circle of Fifths Wheel. With a mouse, click or tap directly on the wheel and chord buttons. Alternatively, using your computer keyboard, tab around elements and then press the Space or Enter key to activate them.
How to Use the Music Tool
It actualy has two rings to it. The outer one contain the major keys, while the inner one contains the relative minor keys in that pair. So if you choose say ‘C’ then the inner circle will update with ‘C’, along with the key signature for this pair. Each time you move anti-clockwise you add flats to the key and each time you go clockwise you add sharps. The keys is close relatives because they have many common notes between them.
Beneath this is a selection of diatonic chord for that key. The chord names and what each Roman numeral does are displayed on each button. Pressing any one of these buttons plays the triad in that key, so you get a chance to hear how each chord would of fit into the given harmony quite easyaly. Depending on whether you want to use it as a major or minor context, choose either the inner or outer ring of the wheel.
Above the widget are controls to manage your experience. There’s the volume slider on the right for adjusting the master output level; drag it up or down based off where you’re listening. Then there’s a help button which will toggle a help panel that walks you through basic navigation and layout, use this as a quick refresher on what the wheel does. Fullscreen: Expand the interface to fill your screen, providing more space for you to see the chord buttons and wheel clearly. This is useful if you have a small device or just wish to remove any distraction so that you can concentrate entirely on tool. Press the button again to exit full screen.
Listen for the change in sound and choose several other keys so that you can hear the impact of these key signatures. This will also highlight the way the chords changes according to the new scale. Experiment with playing chords in different orders to create simple progressions, it’s an opportunity to work out what sounds like minor or major keys or get to know common chord movements across various genres.
Begin with the letter C major, which appears as the baseline, meaning it have no sharps or flats. From there, use the wheel to learn about related keys, hear their distinct colors and develop your ear for key relationships and harmony. Have fun playing with them and find the ones that work best for you.