Who this is for
Anyone who knows the notes A to G and what sharps and flats are. Know the major scale already? You can test out on the last day.
Best done after: Steps & the Major Scale. It is advice, not a rule: every lesson has short "rusty on…?" boxes for anything you skipped.
Why learn this
The circle of fifths is one of the most useful diagrams in music: one picture that tells you how many sharps or flats every key has, which keys are close relatives, how major and minor pair up, and where the main chords of a key live.
It is also easy to learn badly. Most people stare at the diagram and never quite memorise it. This program teaches it in layers instead, one rule at a time, with drills on each layer and a review every day, so that by the last day you can find your way round a circle with every label removed.
What you will be able to do
- The order of all twelve keys, in both directions, and why they go up in fifths
- How many sharps or flats any key has, and the key for any count (the clock trick)
- Exactly which notes are sharp or flat, using the order of sharps and flats
- How to name a key from its key signature, in seconds
- The relative minor of every major key, and minor key signatures
- Where the I, IV, V, ii, vi and iii chords of a key sit on the circle
The 7-day plan
- Meet the circle. Name the key a fifth above or below any key.
- Counting sharps and flats. Say how many sharps or flats a major key has, and name the key for any count.
- The bottom of the circle. Handle 6 and 7 sharps or flats, the keys with two names, and a circle with the labels off.
- Which sharps and flats. Name the exact sharps or flats in any key, and find a key from its accidentals.
- Relative minors. Pair every major key with its relative minor, and read minor key signatures.
- Chords on the circle. Find the I, IV, V, ii, vi and iii chords of any major key as a block on the circle.
- Test day: max lift. Prove it: the whole circle, with the labels off.
How each session works
Every day follows the shape of a workout. It starts with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, then technique: a short, plain explanation with a small interactive tool to try it on. Then come the working sets, drills with instant feedback, and a finisher, a short test with a pass mark so you only build on things you can do. A cool-down recaps the day and previews the next.
Choose your split
The daily split is a session a day: done in a week. The easy split is a session every other day, with rest days between: two weeks, and a gentler pace. On your own pace there is no schedule. Nothing is ever locked, and you can change split at any time.
What comes next
Accidentals and Enharmonics: The 5-Day Program or Minor Keys and Scales: The 6-Day Program. See the whole training plan.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn the circle of fifths?
This program takes seven sessions of about ten minutes. Most people can find any key and its signature quickly by the end of the week, and keep it sharp with a couple of minutes of practice now and then.
Do I need to read music or play an instrument?
No. Everything is explained from scratch and the questions use note names, not notation. It helps if you know the note names A to G and what a sharp and a flat are.
Is there a trick to memorising the circle of fifths?
Several, and the program teaches them: a phrase for the order of keys, the clock face where the hour is the number of sharps, the order of sharps and flats, and shortcuts for naming a key from its accidentals.
What happens if I miss a day?
Nothing is lost. You can carry on from where you stopped. Every session opens with a warm-up that reviews earlier days, so a gap is easy to recover from.
Can I practise parts of it on their own?
Yes. The circle of fifths trainer has a focus setting for each skill in the program (order, signatures, accidentals, relatives and chords), and timed sets.