Guitar/Scale Manual
Circle Of Fifths
[edit | edit source]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Music_Scale_Theory_-_Circle_of_Fifths.png/300px-Music_Scale_Theory_-_Circle_of_Fifths.png)
The Circle of Fifths is a memory aid for learning all the keys. Here are some fundamental observations:
Clockwise direction shows all the sharp keys
Anti-clockwise shows all the flat keys
Both directions start at the key of C major which is 12 o’clock
C major is the only key that has no sharps or flats
Clockwise ends with the key of C sharp
Anti-clockwise ends with the key of C flat
C, C flat and C sharp use the same notation letters
Each successive "hour" clockwise adds a sharp
Each successive "hour" anti-clockwise adds a flat
The name "circle of fifths" refers to the interval between the root note of each successive scale in the clockwise direction.
Anti-clockwise the root note of each scale forms the interval of a fourth with the root note of the following scale.
One Octave Major Scales Clockwise
[edit | edit source]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/C_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-C_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/G_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-G_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/D_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-D_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/A_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-A_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/E_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-E_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b8/B_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-B_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5b/F_sharp_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-F_sharp_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/C_sharp_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-C_sharp_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
One Octave Major Scales Anti-Clockwise
[edit | edit source]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/C_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-C_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/F_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-F_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/B_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-B_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/E_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-E_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/A_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-A_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/D_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-D_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/G_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-G_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/C_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png/800px-C_flat_major_scale_one_octave_%28open_position%29.png)