🎡 Circle of Fifths Reference

A reference table of the circle of fifths, showing each major key, its relative minor, and the number of sharps or flats in its key signature.

How the twelve keys are ordered

Each step clockwise moves up a perfect fifth - seven semitones - and adds a sharp; each step the other way moves down a fifth and adds a flat. The accidentals arrive in a fixed order, one list being the other backwards:

sharp keys  C  G  D  A  E  B  F#      (0 to 6 sharps)
flat keys   C  F  Bb Eb Ab Db          (0 to 5 flats)
order of sharps  F# C# G# D# A# E# B#
order of flats   Bb Eb Ab Db Gb Cb Fb
relative minor   = 3 semitones below the major

So E major, four steps clockwise, takes the first four sharps: F#, C#, G#, D#. Count three semitones down from E and you land on C#, which is why C# minor shares that signature.

Naming a key from what you see

Sharps: the last sharp is the leading note, so go up one semitone. Three sharps end on G#, giving A major.
Flats: the second-to-last flat names the key. Bb, Eb, Ab, Db gives Ab major. One flat is F major, which you memorise.
Minor: take the major answer down three semitones. Three sharps is A major or F# minor.
Neighbours: keys next to each other differ by a single accidental, so the safest modulation from C is to F or G.

The reference stops at F# on the sharp side and Db on the flat side, because past that the keys start doubling up: Gb major is the same twelve pitches as F# major, and C# major the same as Db.

Frequently asked questions

Which key has 3 sharps?

A major, or its relative F# minor. The sharps are F#, C# and G#, always in that order on the stave. Four sharps adds D# and gives E major or C# minor.

What is the relative minor of a major key?

The minor starting on the sixth degree, three semitones below the tonic, and it shares the signature exactly. C major pairs with A minor, Bb major with G minor, E major with C# minor.

Why is G flat major not on the list?

It is, under another name. Gb major with six flats sounds identical to F# major with six sharps on any equal-tempered instrument, so only one of the pair is shown here.